How to get rich quick in Silicon Valley | Corey Pein
The most desirable career of the 21st century, with numerous advantages over other fast-growing occupations such as hospice carer and rickshaw driver, is being a billionaire. Prior to the incorporation of US Steel in 1901, the world didn't have a single billion-dollar company, much less a billion-dollar individual. Today, more people than ever are becoming billionaires - 2,000 and counting have made the great leap upward, according to the "global wealth team" at Forbes. And the US's hottest billionaire factory is located in the most hyped yet least understood swath of suburban sprawl in the world: Silicon Valley.
Despite what you may have heard, hard work in your chosen trade is absolutely the stupidest way to join the billionaires club. In Silicon Valley, the world's most brilliant MBAs and IT professionals discovered a shortcut to fabulous riches. Ambitious Ivy Leaguers who once flocked to Wall Street are now packing up and heading west. The Valley's startup founders, investors, equity-holding executives and fee-taking middlemen have thrived above all. Inspired by their success, my idea was to move to Silicon Valley, pitch a startup and become obscenely rich. I left home with some homemade business cards showing my new email address, futurebillionaire@aol.com, and a bunch of half-baked ideas.
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