To Anyone saying the Rich "Work Hard and are Smart"

[bluegrass]

12. Not sure I am buying that.

I don't know if I buy this. I am a CPA intent on opening my own firm some day, but in my current position I have worked with many small business owners who have done quite well for themselves by working smart. On the other hand, my girlfriend's dad ran a business for decades and it went under (he was left with nearly nothing), but there are many decisions he made along the way that would constitute poor business strategy: not retaining earnings and reinvesting it into growth, targeting the wrong market segments, not communicating his services properly, etc. He worked very hard every day for 30 years, and he is a very smart man, but he lacked the tactical thinking required for running a successful business.

I agree with the sentiment that nobody builds something completely on their own, and that other factors play a part in success. However, I have known several people who have built successful businesses and made some good money (leading to very comfortable, but by no means lavish lifestyles) by playing the game honestly.