Why I’m More Successful Than Elon Musk

Some Thoughts on the Power of Gratitude

Disclaimer: This is not really an investment-related post. So if you're here for the investing insights, you might want to skip this post. However, the beauty of creating content for your own social media accounts, in my opinion, is that it's a creative outlet for you, and you can do (almost) anything you want on there, as long as you enjoy it. You can also block people who treat you badly & leave insulting comments, for instance, fwiw. Adopting this mindset can be both empowering and liberating, in my experience.

I shared the thoughts below in response to a tweet Ethan Evans shared on X. Ethan is a retired Amazon VP. He's "made it" (by most people’s standards at least) but reflects on how certain groups in society, the "ultra-wealthy", are quite disconnected from the everyday (corporate) life of the average Joe. I suggest you read his thoughts first (see screenshots below).

Here’s my response:

I’ve been meaning to respond to this tweet from @EthanEvansVP for quite some time, and I’m only now finding the chance.

Here are some thoughts:

I believe society often gets the definition of “success” wrong.

The lifestyle Ethan describes—multiple staffed vacation homes with caretakers, private jets (or “PJs,” as some call them)—is beyond anything I can imagine.

It’s not that I’m criticizing the lavish lifestyle of the ultrarich; rather, I think I’m actually more “successful” than many of those individuals, despite being MUCH worse off financially.

Take Elon Musk, for instance—the richest person on the planet. I still believe I’m more successful than he is, as crazy as that might sound.

Why? Because I measure success differently.

Recently, @tihobrkan shared a tweet from @AlexAndBooks summarizing 10 key lessons from @SahilBloom’s new book, The 5 Types of Wealth. Sahil proposes a broader definition of wealth that includes: