Growing up in a farming community was weird. No rich people that I knew. Our family doctor drove a Cadillac, so I thought he was rich. When I was in college, I met a guy whose father owned five farms, so his parents were millionaires but all their money was tied up in the farms and they drove beat-up old Chevys.
My dad was on the load-committee of our local bank, and as we drove through the countryside he'd point out farms that were doing well and farms that were close to foreclosure. If it wasn't for my dad's insider knowledge there was pretty much no way to tell how well the farm was doing.
I still haven't really known any rich people (that I know of).
I think if I were independently wealthy I'd start my own business. There are several empty storefronts on my street where I think, if I could afford to, I'd open an awesome coffee shop there. On the other hand, if I were independently wealthy I wouldn't be living in this neighborhood at all and I'd have no idea how badly this block needs a coffee shop. (It really really does.)
If I were an entrepreneurial type AND wealthy, I would start some kind of sheltered workshop type business for people with mid-stage Alzheimer's and other kinds of disabilities. There really is a lot they could do, with the right structure!
Someone, please take that idea.
A friend worked at a record store in Madison while she was in college. A number of students who worked there had rich parents who told them they had to get jobs to learn responsibility, etc. These students called in sick way more than the ones who worked there because they really needed the money.
If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would probably quit my job because the boss is not going to grow balls tomorrow, and I don't need to be frustrated by his inability to make decisions. I would probably go back to school to get an arts management degree and work for a theatre in town.
My friend is opening a store in Brooklyn next week. I'm going tonight to help her paint.
Oh hey, I'm following her on Facebook!
If I were independently wealthy, I think I'd open a bakery.
One of the few wealthy people I am friends with (I vaguely knew a few in college but not well) has done a lot of what I would were I her--she went to grad school and more grad school! All ofnit fairly relevant in terms of taking over for her dad someday (he's a real estate mogul and she went to law school and then got a historical preservation degree) but she works for him and sometimes has crappy jobs, but sometimes has lotsof free time.
