Finding Out From 80-Year-Old Millionaires If It Is Worth it?

Has all the hard work & sacrifices been worth it?

Have you ever wondered if all the hard work and sacrifices that you make today to become a millionaire are even worth it? I know I have, and I’m sure many people are wondering about this as well.

Noah Kagan a well-known Youtuber did just that and asked 80-year-old millionaires if all their hard work and sacrifices were worth it? The answers are astonishing and eye-opening.

He interviewed a few men, all of which whom were 80-year-old millionaires.

• Jim McIngvale (Mattress Mack)- Founder of Gallery Furniture
• Bing Gordon- Co-Founder of Electronic Arts Games
• Bob Metcalfe- Ethernet inventor
• Alan Weiss- President of a behavioural consulting firm
• Carl J. Meade- Astronaut / Pilot

Here is what they said:

Alan Weiss:

We had virtually no money in the bank, I had two kids in private school, and we bought a big house and had big plans. I was fired from a guy wearing a cape and my wife said “What do you want to do?”, and I said I’m going out on my own I will never be fired again. She said “ Fine, just get serious”.

I had published 3 books, and they were on things that I was consulting in. This year 2022 is the 6th edition of “Million-Dollar Consulting” on the shelves for 30 years constantly worth a gazillion dollars

Noah Kagan, later on, asked a really good question to the millionaires:

How has money changed your lives?

Mattress Mack:

Money didn’t improve our lives, I think relationships did. Relationships are the currency in life. The better relationships you have with people and the community the better life you will lead.

Bob Metcalfe:

So we bought a big house, a convertible, the kids are taken care of and the goal now is to spend all of our money before we die.

Alan Weiss:

Money can’t buy happiness right, but money can buy things that create happiness. Bought a Rolls Royce. Don’t kid yourself, money doesn't create happiness, we live in a consumer society here.

I believe we should be philanthropic, we should have safety nets, and every person should have valuable healthcare, education and so forth. I believe in bringing talent out since you get paid for your talent.

Carl J. Meade:

It reduces stress a lot. That was a big worry in the past, I remember looking out at a window kind of thinking, one more year and I can pay off my debts.

Another great question Noah Kagan asked these millionaires was:

Do you have any regrets? Would you change anything? And was it worth it?

Mattress Mack:

I regret not spending more time with my kids, with most time spent taken to build the business. But my wife did an incredibly great job. I have no regrets just looking forward to the future.

Alan Weiss:

I have no regrets whatsoever, you learn from defeats you learn from setbacks. In fact, sometimes the learning is even greater. One thing I regret is not collecting enough names and connecting with others.

Bob Metcalfe:

It worked out so well for me, my life is so good that I’m reluctant to answer anything about the past and change it or regret it because it's just hard to imagine it working out any better.

A partial answer is that I wished I learned how to sell earlier.

Bing Gordon:

My regret in my 20’s is I didn’t create historical artefacts (document) things down. Write down your ideas, write down your plans, they become data.

What is your proudest moment?

Bob Metcalfe: Going from zero to a million dollars

Mattress Mack: Turning around the lives of people I work with for the next 5 generations.

Alan Weiss: Looking around at the global community of people I coach and seeing how they prosper is incredibly valuable and being able to play a small role in people’s success on a daily basis is hugely rewarding.

Silliest things you’ve bought?

Bing Gordon- A jeep grand wagoneer.

Carl J. Meade- 1972 American motors hornet

Bob Metcalfe- A 50-knot boat.

Best things you’ve spent money on:

Alan Weiss: My own self-development(to learn things) and my family (so we can enjoy things as a loving group).

Mattress Mack: I have a trade school that I fund out of my pocket that teaches plumbing, electricity, and construction skills to people for free.

Bob Metcalfe: Our kids went to good schools.

Bing Gordon: We built a home with deep emotional residence.

Words of wisdom:

There are a lot of people who are out there for themselves, those are the people you want to avoid.- Carl J Meade

Get rid of your sense of entitlement. Life is hard, get used to it. If things don’t go your way, what do you do? You put on your big boy/ girl bridges and get back to work. -Mattress Mack

Stop calling yourself a coach, facilitator, a trainer, whatever the hell you call yourself. There are a lot of excellent consultants, coaches and trainers who are broke because they can’t market themselves. Nobody wants to hear about your credentials, your testimonials, your methodologies. They want to know, what is in it for me? Tell me why I will be better off when you walk away.- Alan Weiss

Conclusion

If it is up to be, it is up to me.

These 80-year-old millionaires have shown us a different life is possible if we are willing to chart our own path differently from the path society dictates us to have.

The valuable insights and principles that they applied have carried them on through their life’s journey to the success that they very well enjoy today.