I don't like the investment world. Most investors are not interesting people. Most professional investors are crooks and play the game of appearances. When they talk, it's like these gamblers who go to casinos: they only talk about their good moves. They keep the bad ones for them.
In other words, I don't like them and I don't trust them.
What I like about a guy like Be Smart Rich is that this guy is a great guitar player. He showed me a video of himself and fuck, he plays like Eddie Van Halen or some other alcoholic. I like it when something comes from the guts of someone and the investment world is not that suited for that kind of people.
When I take a look at my portfolio, I can see that I have much more money in it now than 5 years ago. And way, way way more money in it than 10 years ago. But am I happier? NO. It brought a lot of security and satisfaction, but not happiness.
Actually, I still read a lot about finance and investments. I spend every lunch in front of my computer, eating my food, reading various stuff on the Internet about a company or another. I like that. But it's not an obsession. Anyway, I don't have friends at work and I'm not interested in Instagram or Facebook. I could however play Candy Crush but I'm a male and I'm 30 years too young.
If I had to write a top 4 of the things I value the most in life, it would probably look like this:
1- Experiences (travel, going out with friends and improvise and things like that)
2- Friends and family;
3- Music;
4- Investment.
The things I value the most are related to excitement, emotions and memories. They make you feel alive. That's why I don't really like Warren Buffett. While the old man seems like a very nice guy, he doesn't look interested in anything else than making money. All his life has been devoted to money (and bridge for a lesser part). OK, he may play a bit of banjo or ukulele, but he's not very good. He doesn't qualifiy to be an artist.
And that's why I liked Steve Jobs. He may have been a despot and a tough guy to deal with, but fuck, he had something in his guts. He wasn't just a fucking playboy like Bill Ackman.
I think that's the point: I associate a lot of investors to Bill Ackman.
Actually if you move down the food chain (less assets under management)…You will find a lot of decent honest people more concerned with their investment performance rather than growing their assets under management (a lot of them own big chunks in their own business)…that alone should tell you about who they are…But of course the news media will only focus on the big guys (rock star investors) and the crooks because that’s what grows their advertising revenue…bad news sells…
RépondreSupprimerInvesting just to make money is not enough. I don’t think you can be successful if your only in it for the money…it has to be a passion, something you can take pride in while you hone your investing skills. In the end it’s almost more of a game. It’s a way to empower yourself and take charge of your life so you can do the things in life you enjoy.
When I look upon my investment portfolio I realize it’s something I created and is unique on to myself. Every day it bobs up and down like a cork on the ocean but it never sinks. Meanwhile it’s forever increasing its dividend income creating an income stream that I could never get if I put my money in the bank or invested in bonds.
Lastly it’s a discipline because I know that I have an investing philosophy (honed by experience) that supports my stock market operations that I can take pride in with the patience that the market has taught me over time.