How Much Is Enough?
So many billionaires. So little time.
VOL. 3 ... No. 99. March 26, 2025.
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Laughter Saves Lives, but money fills the tank. Thank you!
Howdy Humpers,
Hope you’re all doing well today. Spring is bustin’ out all over here in lovely New Bern, NC. The daffodils have already come and gone, and the birds are singing up a storm. Who can be unhappy in the springtime?
As you may remember, my request last week was for someone to make me laugh since I was in the doldrums over the state of our country. I heard from a few of you who were in the same boat with me. You couldn’t come up with a thing to laugh about. I hope you’re feeling more optimistic this week.
My friend, Mary, rose to the occasion and made me laugh with a joke she found on social media. It was written on a church sign:
This too shall pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass!
Ahhh . . . At least we have something to look forward to. Passing a government-sized kidney stone.
When you were a kid, did you yearn to be rich? You know, like billionaire rich? Some days, my childhood fantasy was something like Elvis Presley or Dolly Parton created for themselves: an enormous house, a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, hanging out with the glitterati, and lots of bling around my neck and on my fingers. I planned to purchase gorgeous homes for everyone I loved.
Other days, I would own a big cattle ranch like the Ponderosa from Bonanza where I would ride and rope all day long, and I would shoot the bad guys. They were easier to spot back then.
This was my dream swimming pool. A lot of people think Elvis built a guitar-shaped pool, but it was country singer, Webb Pierce. I would have made a great nouveau riche country star.
Over time, of course, I realized that I would never have that kind of fame or money, but I could have a good life. It hasn’t been without struggle, but whose life is? A good life with good health. To contribute to society in some way. Isn’t that what most of us want?
So, are we happier the wealthier we become? I thought I knew the answer to that. Yes. Of course! Life works better when you have money, but I thought there was a cap on the amount you needed. The last study I read concluded that when you earn “over $75,000 a year” happiness levels plateau and are similar to people earning more income. But, to my surprise, it seems that research is out of date. According to the latest study, the more money people have, the happier they are. Up to about $500,000, then it seems to level off — but not necessarily.
More IS apparently better.
More and more and more — until we’ve all got gout like kings of old.
I get it. If you’ve got the will, drive, and talent to create enormous wealth from poverty, or you’re lucky enough to inherit the starter package, it brings all kinds of rewards. Money brings security. It opens doors to worlds you could never enter without it. It means never having to wonder if you can pay your utilities. Never wondering if you can feed your children, or keep a roof over their heads. Buying whatever you want when you want it. Big money brings generational wealth to be passed down. Money keeps your name alive on buildings and foundations and in the history books long after you’re gone.
But only a tiny percentage of us get to have that kind of wealth. If we’re really, really fortunate, we can create a safe, solid, middle-class life. That’s becoming harder to do. Government plays a huge role in safeguarding the laws and infrastructure that allow us to thrive.
I never expected to know any billionaires.
I didn’t expect to even know what one looked like. I imagined them lolling about on Greek isles, or ensconced in the towers of big business all over the world — far from the likes of someone like me.
But something has shifted. At last count, we have 13 billionaires openly working in highly-sensitive positions in the White House. How do people with financial empires tentacled throughout the world avoid breaking conflict-of-interest statute 18 U.S.C. § 208? They can’t avoid it, and it’s looking like they won’t have to.
I’m betting you’ve all heard by now about the high-ranking officials involved in a text group chat — complete with emojis — that detailed plans for bombing Houthis in Yemen. Highly sensitive stuff, dropping bombs. Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief for The Atlantic magazine was accidentally included in that chat.
Clearly, you’d have to be fairly intelligent to amass and manage a fortune, but that experience doesn’t necessarily qualify you to run a democratically-elected government. The protocols of government that are designed to limit leaks, the fragile relationships with other nations, the historic precedents, the ever-evolving technology, the balance between the three branches of government — ALL must be taken into consideration when enacting or drafting policy.
When you work in the federal government, lives — not just fortunes — are at stake.
So, back to this question of whether more money brings happiness. I’ve been studying the latest crop of oligarchs at the White House, and I tell ya, they don’t seem all that happy. Their resting faces resemble sneers, and they’re always complaining about where the money is going — except when it’s going to them. They (along with the chief complainer) grouse daily about how badly they’re being treated, and while “we the people” are distracted by all the drama, they’re actively dismantling important agencies that contribute to our common good — without a clear message on what they will do to fix what they are breaking.
Doesn’t look like happiness to me.
Looks a lot more like misery.
And, you know, misery loves company.
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Until next time, my friends . . . Get outside. Feel the sunshine on your beautiful faces. Dance to the rhythm of your extraordinary lives!
Janna
Quote Of The Week:
Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars. — Warren Buffet
Who needs a billion dollars? No one, unless they are super alturistic. Taylor Swift comes close.
Very insightful post, Janna. Personally, I can't imagine a billion dollars. Way too much for an old duffer like me. Also, too much responsibility...altho, on the other hand, it might be real nice!