Friday, April 25, 2025
This past weekend I was scrolling through my phone, casually reading news on the internet. I find it entertaining to mindlessly read articles while I have my morning cup of coffee. The subject matter may be something serious like international politics or it could be something as silly as the “10 Best Places to Retire in Texas” or “Unusual Names to Give Your Dog.”
During my morning scroll, I saw a “list” of the wealthiest people in the world. The list included the following people, the major source of their wealth, and their estimated net worth:
Elon Musk - Tesla, SpaceX, X $395.5 billion
Mark Zuckerberg - Meta (Facebook) $230.7
Jeff Bezos - Amazon $226.7 billion
Larry Ellison - Oracle $204.6 billion
Bernard Arnault - LVMH (luxury goods) $186.4 billion
Warren Buffet - Berkshire Hathaway $161.1 billion
Larry Page - Google $141.5 billion
Sergey Brin - Google $135.4 billion
Amancio Ortega - Zara $121.9 billion
Steve Ballmer - Microsoft $118.9 billion
Just looking at those numbers, the vastness of the wealth is a little difficult to comprehend. Having a $100 million dollars would seem like more money than I could possibly spend in ten lifetimes, but a couple hundred billion? That is more than the GNP of a lot of countries!
The thought of that much wealth got me to thinking, reflecting, and wondering. Then I began to question why I was not on the list of the richest people in the world?
You may laugh at the thought of the humble publisher of community newspapers being on a list of the world’s richest people. Admittedly, all it would take is a brief conversation with my local banker, John Henry, and he would tell you my bank account does not even have enough money for me to pay “attention,” much less be one of the major financial players in the world. I have often jokingly told John Henry that he must be one of my pallbearers, because he has “carried me” for so long, I want him to finish the job!
I confess I do not have billions; in fact, I do not have millions. But, on the other hand, what makes a person rich?
I live in a clean house with a roof that does not leak. It is warm, secure, and comfortable. My neighborhood is safe, and I have no fear that someone is going to attack my home tonight and cause me or my family harm.
I have all I want to eat every single day. Some might look at my physique and say I have had more than enough to eat, and they could be right. Unlike a whole lot of people in the world, I am never concerned about where my next meal is coming from.
I live in the great State of Texas, and no matter where I travel in the United States or the world, I stand with pride knowing I live in the greatest place to call home on the entire planet. Pity is that some folks must acknowledge they live in Cleveland!
I have a wife and a family and granddaughters who love me. Many people in the world feel alone and disenfranchised.
I have my Miss Jayne, who is my friend and my substitute mother. She listens to me, supports me, and provides me with never-ending love. Some folks have no one pulling for them.
I get to work at a job that promotes my great community and educates, entertains, and informs the public of the world around them. I get paid well to do my job. Some folks have no job at all, or, if they have a job, feel like they do not make a difference with what they do.
There are a lot of ways to measure wealth. My financial balance sheet will never be something that is jaw dropping or earth shaking compared to the “bulls” of Wall Street, but, in the balance sheet of life, I have been blessed many times over. To my way of thinking, whether I am on the Forbes list or not, I am a “rich” man. I thank God almighty for making it possible.
Thought for the day: A rich life has nothing to do with money.
Until next time...I will keep ridin’ the storm out!
Sam@hcnews.com
