Not worth $100

[Tresbn00]

It is not worth Bill Gate's time to pick up a one hundred dollar bill if he found one on the ground. With a net worth of one hundred and ten billion dollars, a relatively conservative six percent return works out to two hundred and nine dollars and twenty eight cents per second in earnings. It would take me three seconds to pick up a one hundred dollar bill but it would cost Bill Gates six hundred and twenty seven dollars and eighty five cents to do the same-a loss of five hundred and twenty seven dollars and eighty five cents on his find. Even more amazing is that Bill Gates donates forty five percent of his wealth, approximately forty one billion dollars, to charity. The Obamas gave twenty two percent of their income to charity-congratulations to them on their Oscar award (and Nobel Peace prize in 2009).

[UGetPaid]

I get the point of this kind of conundrum in showing a particular person's wealth/earning ratio as compared to the common person, but it always seems ridiculous to me in practice. Has Bill Gates, really lost any money by taking the time to pick up a $100 bill?  If he is just out for a walk and not actively "working" on anything in particular, is he "losing" money at the rate of $209.28 per second?


I say no because he would be making that $209.28 per second whether he picks up the $100 bill or not. Over that 3 second span, rather than making $627.84, he would instead have $727.84 after being lucky enough to find a wayward $100 bill!

[oldbuddy]

At this point in his career, Bill Gates is running on Passive Income anyway, so no matter what he is doing (even sleeping) his cash flow stays consistent. There is always someone somewhere out there making more money for him. I am slowly moving toward that on a smaller scale.

[gtdoss]

Yeah, I think if I was a multi-billionaire I would give away at least half of my money. Because, when I break it down, there's not all that much I would enjoy buying. I mean, after I spent a few million dollars on myself and my family, I really wouldn't have anything else I wanted or needed, so why not give it away? 

[ancmetro]

     By the way, I found a one hundred dollar bill on the pavement of a parking lot...
and yes!... I picked it up and spent it very well. Someone told me that at night,
some charities disperse paper bills on the pavement of empty parking lots so some
lucky desperate people will find them next morning.

[heypeg]

I would definitely pick it up, no shame in me.

[claudegrizzle]

I would definitely pick up a hundred dollar bill. Just remember Bill Gates is into eugenics and he not such a good person.

[bretay]

i would definitely pick it up....lol..and look for more...

[gwilson31]

i would definitely pick it up....lol..and look for more...

Me too. LOL 

[UGetPaid]

I would definitely pick it up, no shame in me.

I always keep a keen eye out for any money when I am out running errands or walking the neighborhoods. I've found a few different paper denominations in just the past year and you better believe I pick them ALL up!


Last winter I saw a penny on the icy sidewalk. I literally had to take off my gloves and pick at it a few times with my fingernails to pry it loose, but I am not ashamed of that effort.  Was that the equivalent of Bill Gates and the stray $100 bill? Maybe not. But it was a penny more in my change purse than when I left the house that morning.

[bremer51]

Its always possible that a brief pause to pick up a penny or $100, could save you from getting run over by a bus at the next intersection.

[ktheodos]

I get the point of this kind of conundrum in showing a particular person's wealth/earning ratio as compared to the common person, but it always seems ridiculous to me in practice. Has Bill Gates, really lost any money by taking the time to pick up a $100 bill?  If he is just out for a walk and not actively "working" on anything in particular, is he "losing" money at the rate of $209.28 per second?

What I was thinking too...it's not like he actually has to "give up" anything to pick up the $100 dollar bill....when people use figures like that they also have to look at the practical side too..


I say no because he would be making that $209.28 per second whether he picks up the $100 bill or not. Over that 3 second span, rather than making $627.84, he would instead have $727.84 after being lucky enough to find a wayward $100 bill!

[sfreeman8]

I pick up pennies when I find them in my driveway. Don't know where they come from but there's sometimes a dime found, too. The other day I saw what I thought was another piece of junk metal and picked it up to see what it was.....it was a penny, but no longer copper, but grey color like metal so it must have been there quite a while. I need to look down while walking so I don't trip and fall. Even a small stone would be bad for me not to see on the ground.

[willzz1]

i use a metal detsctor to find suff at vthe parks

[willzz1]

i put in a saving acunt so sar i go $175 in it