Ways to wealth

[RSKY]

At an auction of my mother's home place I was standing by my 40+ year old niece. I asked her if she had ever met a multi-millionaire. She said she hadn't and asked if any were there. I looked around and asked her if she saw the lady with the blue top standing near the auctioneer's truck and she said yes. I said now look at the guy standing next to her with the old cap, white t-shirt, and jeans that looked like they were twenty years old. She slowly said yesss. Well he owns around 6000 acres, has twenty tobacco barns, about a dozen combines, and when they cut hay here on this farm (the week before the auction so the place looked good, a favor to us) his crew pulled in with five tractors and mowers and two balers.

He was limping and favoring one side because he tripped and fell off a tractor a couple weeks before. Over seventy years old.

He is a multi millionaire because he never spends any money except on his farming business. Never takes a vacation. Drives an old truck. Works six days a week, sometimes seven. Just doesn't care.

RSKY

 

[deezler]

He is a multi millionaire because he never spends any money except on his farming business. Never takes a vacation. Drives an old truck. Works six days a week, sometimes seven. Just doesn't care.

So then I have to sorta stop and wonder, what is the point. So he's rich, but it means nothing to him, because he never spends or enjoys any of it. Sounds like it's not about wealth building to him (unless he just really enjoys looking at his bank account statements) but rather an addiction to work with no hobbies, and minimal quality family time. Working his body into the ground in daily toil.

The only upside would be if done out of love for his family and providing for them and leaving a nest egg.

 

[MossRoad]

So then I have to sorta stop and wonder, what is the point. So he's rich, but it means nothing to him, because he never spends or enjoys any of it. Sounds like it's not about wealth building to him (unless he just really enjoys looking at his bank account statements) but rather an addiction to work with no hobbies, and minimal quality family time. Working his body into the ground in daily toil.

The only upside would be if done out of love for his family and providing for them and leaving a nest egg.

Sometimes makes you wonder.

I’ve seen quite a few farmers whose children have left because they want nothing to do with the family farm. The farmer blames ‘society’ for corrupting the kid. The kid blames the farm for what it did to the farmer and doesn’t want to end up like that.

There’s plenty of children that don’t want to follow in their parents’ footsteps for similar reasons, regardless of occupation. And then there’s plenty of children that don’t want to follow in their parents’ footsteps because it’s not their passion. They’re interested in other things.

Then there are those that want to continue the family business out of love. Others that think they have to out of duty.

It’s so complicated!

My grandpa was a great barber. My dad cut hair to make money to go to college. He was a pretty good barber, too. But man, he did not want to be a barber. He was an architect and creator at heart. Fortunately, grandma and grandpa knew that and supported his dreams, and again, fortunately, my parents supported my siblings and my decisions. That’s the way I think it’s supposed to work.

 

[RSKY]

So then I have to sorta stop and wonder, what is the point. So he's rich, but it means nothing to him, because he never spends or enjoys any of it. Sounds like it's not about wealth building to him (unless he just really enjoys looking at his bank account statements) but rather an addiction to work with no hobbies, and minimal quality family time. Working his body into the ground in daily toil.

The only upside would be if done out of love for his family and providing for them and leaving a nest egg.

All the man has ever done is farm. It is his work, play, and life. He never married, but he has a live in girlfriend of more than thirty years. There is a small town in Mexico that sends several of it's young men to work in his tobacco fields. Don't know for sure but I've heard he only hires workers from there. I only talk to him once or twice a year but he doesn't seem to be slowing down much.

I guess that when your work is your hobby and recreation that is all you need.

I do hope he bids on the land we are auctioning next month.

RSKY