POV: You re a Billionaire at 35 — Not What You Expected

POV: You re a Billionaire at 35 — Not What You Expected Part 1 YOU DON'T TELL ANYONE THAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU DON'T TELL ANYONE FIRST THING THE WIRE CLEARS AT 2:47 THE WIRE CLEARS AT 2:47 IN THE AFTERNOON ON A THURSDAY AFTERNOON ON A THURSDAY AND YOU ARE AND YOU ARE 35 YEARS OLD AND YOU HAVE EXACTLY ONE BAR OF SIGNAL AND YOU STAND THERE IN YOUR KITCHEN READING THE NUMBER THREE TIMES READING THE NUMBER THREE TIMES BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN REFUSES TO PROCESS IT AS REAL 2.9 BILLION 2.9 $2,900,000,000 2.9 BILLION YOU READ IT AGAIN YOU READ IT AGAIN YOU SET THE PHONE DOWN YOU SET THE PHONE DOWN YOU WASH A GLASS YOU WASH A GLASS THAT WAS ALREADY CLEAN ALREADY THE FEELING YOU'VE BEEN RUNNING TOWARD YOUR WHOLE LIFE DOESN'T SHOW UP THE FEELING YOU'VE BEEN RUNNING TOWARD YOUR WHOLE LIFE DOESN'T SHOW UP YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE JUST NEVER WITH THIS WITH THIS MUCH MONEY YOU GROW UP YOU GROW UP IN A HOUSE WHERE MONEY ISN'T ISN'T DISCUSSED IT'S MANAGED IT'S MANAGED QUIETLY CAREFULLY AND ALWAYS CLOSED DOORS YOUR DAD YOUR DAD DRIVES A REFRIGERATED DELIVERY TRUCK FOR A GROCERY CHAIN HE LEAVES HE LEAVES AT 4:30 IN THE MORNING AND COMES HOME SMELLING LIKE COLD AIR AND DIESEL HE DOESN'T HE DOESN'T COMPLAIN COMPLAINING COST SOMETHING HE DOESN'T HAVE YOUR MOM YOUR MOM WORKS THE FRONT DESK AT A CHIROPRACTIC OFFICE 2 AT A CHIROPRACTIC OFFICE 26 HOURS 26 HOURS A WEEK UNDER THAT UNDER THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE PRACTICE TO OFFER HER BENEFITS THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE PRACTICE TO OFFER HER BENEFITS THAT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT SHE'S KNOWN IT FOR YEARS SHE NEVER SAYS ABOUT IT BECAUSE SAYING SOMETHING WOULD MEAN LOOKING DIRECTLY AT IT AND LOOKING DIRECTLY AT IT MEANS DECIDING WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT AND NO AND NO VERSION OF THAT CONVERSATION ENDS ON A TUESDAY ON A TUESDAY NIGHT WITH TWO KIDS AND A MORTGAGE THAT'S THREE YEARS UNDERWATER SO INSTEAD SO INSTEAD THE HOUSE RUNS ON A SYSTEM THE SYSTEM THE SYSTEM HAS NO NAME YOU LEARN IT BY WATCHING RENT GETS PAID IT'S DUE NOT BEFORE BECAUSE THE 11 DAYS IT SITS IN CHECKING EARNS SOMETHING NOT MUCH NOT MUCH BUT SOMETHING THE CREDIT CARD THE CREDIT CARD GETS PAID TO ZERO EVERY MONTH EVERY MONTH NOT BECAUSE YOUR PARENTS UNDERSTAND CREDIT UTILIZATION BUT BECAUSE DEBT FEELS LIKE A THING THAT GROWS WHEN YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AND THEY'VE SEEN WHAT IT DOES TO PEOPLE THEY KNOW THEY KNOW THE GROCERY SHOPPING HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAYS HAPPENS ON WEDNESDAYS TWO DAYS BEFORE THE WEEKLY CIRCULAR RESETS BECAUSE YOUR MOM KNOWS WHICH MARKDOWNS HIT ON WHICH DAYS AT WHICH STORES THIS IS NOT COUPONING THIS IS NOT COUPONING THIS IS A KIND OF EXPERTISE FOR WHICH NOBODY GIVES YOU A CREDENTIAL YOU ARE 11 YOU ARE 11 YEARS OLD AND YOU ARE ABSORBING ALL OF IT YOU WEAR THE SAME FOUR SHIRTS ON A WEEKLY ROTATION AND YOU GET GOOD AT SPACING THEM OUT SO NOBODY NOTICES THE PATTERN YOU DON'T GO TO JORDAN PFEIFFER'S BIRTHDAY PARTY IN SIXTH GRADE BECAUSE IT'S AT ONE OF THOSE ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS WHERE YOU PAY PER ACTIVITY YOUR PARENTS GIVE YOU $20 AND YOU DO THE MATH IN THE CAR AND REALIZE THAT $20 WON'T COVER THE GO KARTS THE ARCADE TOKENS THE PIZZA AND THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE WHEN YOU CAN'T AFFORD THE NEXT ROUND SO YOU TELL JORDAN YOU HAVE A THING YOU DON'T HAVE A THING THE SCHOOL TRIP TO WASHINGTON D C COST $340 YOU NEVER ASK WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM ALL OF THIS ISN'T POVERTY EXACTLY IT'S THE SPECIFIC WEIGHT LIFE LIVED THE LINE WHERE THINGS GET EASIER YOU'RE NOT GOING HUNGRY THERE'S FOOD IN THE FRIDGE THE HEAT WORKS AND NOBODY'S GETTING EVICTED BUT THERE'S THIS PERMANENT LOW HUM UNDERNEATH EVERYTHING THIS CONSTANT BACKGROUND FREQUENCY OF NOT QUITE ENOUGH AND YOU GROW UP