You're Off the Hook: You Now Have Permission Not to Have to Aspire to Become a Billionaire

"Why We Hate Billionaires" is the final chapter in "Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World" by Anupreeta Das. 

But essentially the whole book digs into what being a billionaire is all about, at least currently. It's not pretty. The expose is getting traction: It ranks 77,667 on Amazon.

Well, a major takeaway is this: Becoming a billionaire, despite all the pop culture fascination, isn't necessarily worth aspiring to. 

Come on, do you really want to be like Bill Gates or Leon Black? 

Currently Gates is re-entering a dark phase in his branding. Boomers will remember how it was when Microsoft took on the stink of being a monopolist. Now the stink comes from conspiracy theories about vaccinations. Saint Bill has mutated back into Demon Bill. Fewer are being sucked in by the Aw Shucks Nerd persona. 

As for Black, he is just now being allowed back into social circuits after the Epstein scandal and the legal drama with a former mistress. His money didn't insulate him from a total collapse of social influence. Remember when he dominated the cultural scene, including chairing The Museum of Modern Art. 

Also, as Das explains, achieving the wealth status of a billionaire isn't as simple as determination, talent, persistence and resilence. Luck, race, DNA, education, networks, and sharp elbows (as we saw with Gates) more frequently override the traits which are hailed as potential billionaire material. 

One more thing: The big names in professional services such as McKinsey, BCG, Latham, Paul Weiss and Edelman - who are only millionaires and their clients are billionaires - shouldn't have to feel less-than. Too often billionaires are made "stupid" by their wealth. So many got dazzled by the Epstein phenomenon. Did they get hoodwinked into being blackmailed? Then, of course, they wound up suffering in the court of public opinion.

In this weird era the emerging status symbol is: Just making it. 

We are not homeless! 

We have a reserve. 

We know how to earn a buck, no matter what. Also we feel no shame if neighbors spot us being a security guard in a big box. 

Easing off an intense high-profile career and embracing semiretirement doesn't scare us. 

We have our health. 

And we don't "have to" socialize with the very wealthy (as mandated by the suppposed networking experts who haven't studied the research of Mark Granovetter). 

Having enough is becoming enough.

No more apologies for not making it that big. 

Life is hard. Business is even more difficult these days. Get answers – and relief. Jane Genova is a results-driven intuitive coach, tarot reader and content-creator related to careers. Complimentary consultation (please text/phone 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com)