More often than not, wealth begets wealth. The father of Bill Gates was a wealthy man. So was the father of Elon Musk, who owned an emerald mine, and the father of Warren Buffett who was a millionaire investor and politician. And yes, these men have exceeded the levels of wealth their fathers had by an enormous degree… this is true. But chances are, you’d never know their names were it not for the good start they got in life.
In the picture above we see a young Bill Gates on his wedding day, next to his parents. His father, Bill Gates senior, was a wealthy attorney. He started his own law firm, and among his clients were many large companies. As a result, the elder Gates was already a fabulously wealthy man, known for his philantropy by the time Bill Gates (junior) got into business himself. The younger Gates had the best education money can buy. The best connections.
And nine out of ten times, that’s what makes the difference — money, education, connections. Kids every bit as smart as Gates are born every day in Africa, or in rural India or China. Perhaps, on some island in the Pacific Ocean. You’ll never know their names. Or see what they could have been capable off, had they been born elsewhere.