He never said that hard work "made" him a billionaire.

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He could have been an outstanding success story and we still may never have heard of him.

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So you are saying it was mostly luck? I respect if you think that. I just disagree. We all have luck. Some have more than others. I just don't think you dominate your industry simply because you happened to have a few breaks. There are too many important decisions to be made to just fall into it.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Sure. He might have been the best door to door salesman or the best garbage man or maybe he would have become a millionaire.


But obviously, we know that the starting point of having parents with money is one of the main factors in his becoming a billionaire.

That is not true of many of the people he is telling to "work harder"

I don't think that is exactly what he said. I know I should be working harder too!
Yup.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

How rich were his parents before he started his business?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Lets remember the context here.

Zell didnt just say "Working hard is neccessary to success"


He was asked about the income gap and his answer was "work harder and become the 1%"

Cant say, but if his dad was investing in real estate outside of his wholesale jewelry business, Id say they were doing well.


I know I would have tried my own firm if I had parents that could soften the blow of possible failure.

People "should not talk about envy of the 1 percent, they should talk about emulating the 1 percent. The 1 percent work harder, the 1 percent are much bigger factors in all forms of our society."

This is the statement. The bolded part is the part that's untrue, and the last part is insulting to all of us. Most everyone who is a billionaire is a benficiary of circumstance. If you want to live your life with people looking down on you for not being a billionaire, fine. If you want to have some actual pride and take exception with his comment, I'm on board. Billionaires are absolutely not harder workers, smarter, or more ingenious than most of us. They are circumstancial success stories. No one is advocating a system in which everyone is equal. But I am advocating someone knocking Sam Zell's teeth out because he is a douche who had circumstance and luck on his side. If you disagree, fine. Keep hailing the obnoxious "makers" who look down on you.

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Rick supporting the pothead and JORR arguing against him. What a time to be alive.

That term can be very broad. His dad may have been buying a few rental properties.

A quick google search shows that Zell's first way of making money at the age of 12 was buying magazines in Chicago and then bringing them back to the suburbs to sell to other people at a profit. That hardly sounds like he was rolling in money from his parents though maybe he just enjoyed the business.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

He grew up on the mean streets of Highland Park.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Bernard Zell was a grain broker. He did well.

Yeah, he really did. "The 1% worked harder."

I don't know Sam Zell's bio inside out, but I do know he made his fortune with REITs. If I had to guess, more than "hard work", I would say that Bob Lurie found out away to exploit changes in the tax code.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

I guess I'll repeat what I have responded with several times. The bolded part is true. Its not insulting at all. Not mostly everyone who is a billionaire is a beneficiary of circumstance. Are all billionaires harder workers, smarter or more ingenious, no. Most are. Zell may be that, but even with getting handed his parent's wealth, he still had to develop a LOT of skills to get to where he is. As I have said, that includes leadership style, financial skills, real estate knowledge, relationships, etc. The rich don't just give each other things or help each other out. Its actually much the opposite. Zell doesn't look down on you, he is just responding to the people attacking him.

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Oh man this is too good. Zell's father was a successful grain broker in Poland. He came here, had more success, so much so, that his family moved out to the suburbs!

That's when Sam's undeniable entrepreneurial spirit came thru with the magazines!




Sam Zell is obviously smart, hard working, a born leader, and came from a good place and those factors led to him being a billionaire.

No, it's not and its a ridiculous thought.

You think Sam Zell works harder than anyone you know?

Its a ridiculous premise.

There are small business owners killing themselves right now, taking no pay, and forsaking their own health to make their business work. Is Zell working harder than them?

Yeah. It seems like he did work harder. I wasn't making money at the age of 12.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

"People should not talk about envy of the 1 percent, they should talk about emulating the 1 percent. The 1 percent work harder, the 1 percent are much bigger factors in all forms of our society."

He is saying that the 99% should not envy the rich but emulate them. He is saying that the 99% need to work harder. I absolutely agree with this statement. But at no point here did he say that as a result of his hard work, he became a billionaire and so can you.

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I was.

Most caddies start around that age.

Me and Zell work harder than anyone else

Yes, it is. I know he does because I worked for him and I know what he does to stay on top of his game. And again, I use a small sample, but compared to the number of people I work with on a day to day basis, I can safely say over 50% of them come into work each day just to get their work done and go home. They work their tasks hard, but many don't really work that hard.

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I absolutely was. But I guess it doesn't matter. Sam Zell is smarter than me and is a harder worker because he's a billionaire.

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Hold it. You said the 1% work harder. Now its roughly half the people you worked with at this specific company? Of course he works harder than some people in the world. Not anyone outside the 1% though.


He doesnt work harder than every person in America who makes less than 6 figures. I dont see how anyone could argue that.


That's not to say he doesnt work hard. Ive said many times that he worked hard, was smart and had the skills to make it.


He doesnt work harder than the entruprenuer I mentioned. He doesnt work harder than the mexican immigrant working 70 hours a week washing dishes.

I understand its a broad brush, so I am probably off with my statement. I am saying that it does take a lot of work to get to where he got, which included building skills to be in his position, whether he was handed a silver spoon or not. I don't see half the people I work with trying to "emulate", which is a key word, what I am sure most 1%'ers are doing. This includes making tough financial decisions that are much more impactful than what a dishwasher can wash in a day. It's very likely there are many 1%'ers that never worked as hard as a 99%'er, but I just assume its not as many as people think it is based on my personal experience.

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The way I read this, he's talking about the 1% as a whole. He isn't necessarily talking about everyone one of them and every one in the 99%. I'm sure Sam Zell understands there are many useless idiots in the 1% too.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Yeah that's a lot different than "the 1% work harder" I agree with everything you said.

Rick, if that's what he meant he chose his words poorly. I would say watch the video. I happened to watch the interview live. It sounded condescending.

And how are you sure of your last sentence, other than your undying love for your rulers ?

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Are you joking or did you really completely miss my point?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014