Steven

The roof is leaking and like everything's breaking down. It's a huge pain to manage. So he wrote in his biography, he was like, why do we do this? And he was like, he did it too. He was like, I bought a house that is way bigger than I want. And it's a pain, it's a burden, but we all do it. And he's like, why? And he's like, it has to be status. There's no utility to a 40-bedroom house. Zero.

The roof is leaking and like everything's breaking down. It's a huge pain to manage. So he wrote in his biography, he was like, why do we do this? And he was like, he did it too. He was like, I bought a house that is way bigger than I want. And it's a pain, it's a burden, but we all do it. And he's like, why? And he's like, it has to be status. There's no utility to a 40-bedroom house. Zero.

There's a lot of downside in upkeep. But he was like, every one of us does it. And he said even Henry Ford, who was like the cheapest SOB out there, lived in a giant mansion in Detroit. He was like, it's so natural. And he was like, it's just because we want to show other people. It's not utility. It's not making our lives better. It's actually making our life worse.

There's a lot of downside in upkeep. But he was like, every one of us does it. And he said even Henry Ford, who was like the cheapest SOB out there, lived in a giant mansion in Detroit. He was like, it's so natural. And he was like, it's just because we want to show other people. It's not utility. It's not making our lives better. It's actually making our life worse.

But we have this evolutionary desire. to show people that we've made it. That's the calling card.

But we have this evolutionary desire. to show people that we've made it. That's the calling card.

I think it's true that virtually everyone who I really admire in life, by and large, they're not hugely successful people that you've heard of. They're just people who I've met and they're ordinary people with ordinary jobs. And I'm like, man, you seem like you've got it all figured out. They took themselves out of the system that they were supposed to be in.

I think it's true that virtually everyone who I really admire in life, by and large, they're not hugely successful people that you've heard of. They're just people who I've met and they're ordinary people with ordinary jobs. And I'm like, man, you seem like you've got it all figured out. They took themselves out of the system that they were supposed to be in.

And they're like, I'm gonna go figure out my own way. And there's a really interesting story, a guy named Chuck Feeney. He started a company called DFS, the duty-free stores in airports. He made, I think, at the peak of his wealth, he was worth about $9 billion. And this was like in the 90s when that was a lot of money. It still is a lot of money.

And they're like, I'm gonna go figure out my own way. And there's a really interesting story, a guy named Chuck Feeney. He started a company called DFS, the duty-free stores in airports. He made, I think, at the peak of his wealth, he was worth about $9 billion. And this was like in the 90s when that was a lot of money. It still is a lot of money.

But the well-known part of Chuck Feeney is that despite that wealth, he lived like an ordinary person. He lived in like a one-bedroom apartment. He flew coach. He drove like a normal car, lived like a normal guy. And some people criticize that from that. He gave all of his money to charity. He gave $9 billion away, lived like a monk himself.

But the well-known part of Chuck Feeney is that despite that wealth, he lived like an ordinary person. He lived in like a one-bedroom apartment. He flew coach. He drove like a normal car, lived like a normal guy. And some people criticize that from that. He gave all of his money to charity. He gave $9 billion away, lived like a monk himself.

The less known part of Chuck Feeney that I think is more important is that when he first got wealth, became wealthy in the 1980s, he lived the life of a billionaire. He had a fleet of private jets. He had mansions all over the world. He had a yacht. And after doing it for a couple of years, he was like, I don't like any of this. He's like, I like being an ordinary, simple person.

The less known part of Chuck Feeney that I think is more important is that when he first got wealth, became wealthy in the 1980s, he lived the life of a billionaire. He had a fleet of private jets. He had mansions all over the world. He had a yacht. And after doing it for a couple of years, he was like, I don't like any of this. He's like, I like being an ordinary, simple person.

And so I'm going to go live an ordinary life. I don't care what the world – the world tells me this is what I should want now that I have money. But he's like, but I don't. I want simplicity. And what I like about that is not that he chose to live like a monk because I personally wouldn't want to do that if I had that – I would have a jet if I had that kind of money.

And so I'm going to go live an ordinary life. I don't care what the world – the world tells me this is what I should want now that I have money. But he's like, but I don't. I want simplicity. And what I like about that is not that he chose to live like a monk because I personally wouldn't want to do that if I had that – I would have a jet if I had that kind of money.

So it's not to say that he did it right. But what I like that he did is that he said, I don't care what the world tells me to like. I'm going to do it on my own terms. And that's true independence. That's true status. That's true status too. He's like, I don't care. That's the ultimate definition of F you money. Of like so much money that like, I don't care.

So it's not to say that he did it right. But what I like that he did is that he said, I don't care what the world tells me to like. I'm going to do it on my own terms. And that's true independence. That's true status. That's true status too. He's like, I don't care. That's the ultimate definition of F you money. Of like so much money that like, I don't care.

You tell me I'm supposed to live in a mansion in Beverly Hills, but I like my one bedroom apartment in San Francisco. I like my buddies over here. Another person who's done that to a very real extent is Warren Buffett. Lives in the same house today that he bought when he was 27 or whatever it was.

You tell me I'm supposed to live in a mansion in Beverly Hills, but I like my one bedroom apartment in San Francisco. I like my buddies over here. Another person who's done that to a very real extent is Warren Buffett. Lives in the same house today that he bought when he was 27 or whatever it was.