From Journey to the Abyss: The Diaries of Count Harry Kessler 1880-1918 by Harry Kessler (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011), pp. 912:
If I had wished to respond to attacks I would have spent my life on a dueling ground, I would have become something other than what I am, I would not have done sculpture. My only response to attacks is my work.
With that being said, let's focus on practical ways to obtain money. I can think of a few options, like getting it by marriage, inheritance, theft, gambling/speculation, or earning it through employment. I will go over these options with you, taking into account your temperament or, at least what I observed about your behaviour over time. I believe you would not marry for money since you lack patience for those silly games and also don’t like being told what to do. So we'll rule it out, but if you do explore it, I have some bad news for you. First you have to find a partner with a massive amount of wealth, one who is significantly wealthier than you or your family. You will need to try and win them over, and that task could take you several months or even years, time that could have been better spent elsewhere. And of course, you have to hope that they are not only willing to marry you but also include you in their will. That’s not the end of the story though. She or he (depending on your leanings) will control every aspect of your life, which will inevitably make life miserable since you’ll be stripped of every morsel of self-respect and autonomy. You will also have to wait for their death and hope that the wealth is passed down to you without any disputes. It should be noted that there are more widows than widowers, which means that if you are in a relationship with a woman, you are more likely to die first. Having a supportive partner who supports your aspirations is a blessing, but you also have to show responsibility and not spend recklessly. Otherwise, even the most understanding partner will eventually get tired of showing up for you. Even with all that, your future with your partner is still uncertain. If they find another shiny object, your arse is gone for good. I know this is a bleak take but this route is only sensible if you want to be a kept man, just content with a leisurely lifestyle (cocktails by the beach), but if you have bigger aspirations, I don’t think it’s a sustainable path. I still doubt you’ve got the patience but then again I might be wrong. You can obtain inheritance through marriage, as I already said, or through family. So you'll have to keep an eye on Mom and a few of our uncles and aunts and hope they remember to include you in their will. Save for Mom, I wouldn't place much faith in the rest. Some of them have children of their own and may be reluctant to leave anything to you. I'd be quite surprised if they did. 🤵
Theft, though, has its own set of complications. Most people generally imitate the behaviour of those with wealth and power. And as a Nigerian, it can be so tempting to copy the unethical behaviour of some of our politicians, thinking that if they can get away with it, why couldn’t you too. I strongly recommend that you resist that impulse. Although you can get money through theft, it is not only considered socially and morally repugnant, because it involves taking something that doesn’t belong to you without the consent of the owner, but it also carries serious consequences. It might seem like the quickest way but it’s actually not. Unfortunately, just like in legitimate enterprises, only a few criminals will achieve success or amass the wealth they anticipate. I’d put that figure at 2%, so good luck with those odds. I sense that you’d perhaps be interested in white collar crimes instead of petty ones considering the pay out. However, just like any other profession, you’ll need guidance from a criminal who knows what they are doing. As you move up the ranks, you’ll likely draw attention from both law enforcement and criminals who may not hesitate to eliminate you. You can forget about the safety net of the law to protect you because, guess what, you are outside of it. If another criminal was to threaten you or your family, who would you call for help? because it is definitely not law enforcement. I don’t want to be the victim of unmerited violence because someone is out to get your arse. The criminal world is full of dangerous individuals and violence is the only language they understand. As they say, “if you lie down with dogs, you’ll get up with fleas.” Crime just looks easy on TV, where everything works like clockwork. In real life, it’s easier for an airplane to go through the hole of a McDonald’s donut than for anything to go as planned. If you were to start today, you’d probably not make a single cent for months — that’s if you don’t get caught. You will be worse off than a start-up founder; at least the founder might be occasionally broke but they have some peace of mind knowing that the knock on their door is an UberEats delivery and not the police. In the Netflix show Kaleidoscope, one of the characters mentioned that the highest money they made from a heist was either $20K or $40k (I can’t recall the exact amount and I am not rewatching the damn show just for the right figure). Imagine spending over a decade in the world of crime and only have that amount to show for it. It’s not worth it in my opinion, especially when the payout is small and the risk is quite high. With countries moving towards a cashless society, the likelihood of finding someone to rob who has got cash on them is getting slimmer, and even if you did, the money wouldn’t be substantial. Unfortunately, there are harsh laws in place to serve as a deterrent and unfortunately for you, you’ve gone past the age where you could be treated with any leniency. 🚔
I know I mentioned earlier that society doesn’t hesitate to reward anything it considers valuable. Emphasis should be placed on the word considers. Before I proceed, do remember that there are things that society may not place a high value on that are quite valuable. For a society to flourish, it requires the essential services of teachers, police officers, nurses, farmers, and more. But unfortunately, the people working in these crucial professions are often paid peanuts. Take a moment to picture a world devoid of these people and see how quickly the scene becomes dystopian. Why it doesn’t place a value on those professions often baffles me. If you want to make a lot of money or accumulate wealth, I suggest you avoid those professions. I know it sounds insensitive, but it’s nonetheless true. If society valued workers in those professions, it would compensate them well. Only get into those professions if it is what you have always wanted to do, not for the money but because you are genuinely drawn to it. Who knows, maybe one day you’d help fight for better salaries. If you want to make money you should only pursue a career in high-paying industries: law, finance, healthcare, information technology, management consulting, and maybe engineering. These industries tend to be more focused on mental work rather than physical labor. Engineering and healthcare are cost-intensive industries. You will need to raise a lot of money if you want to run your own outfit. It would be less of a hassle if you could just work for a company for at least a decade or longer. To advance your career, you will have to make significant contributions to the company by displaying remarkable initiative. The more valuable you are to the company, the more chips you have to bargain with when you want a raise. In finance, you can either work for a bank or investment firm or start your own gig by demonstrating a solid track record of growth through years of investments. Personally, I would require a minimum of 5-7 years of experience to be convinced. But then again Bernie Madoff was able to run his scam for decades so nothing in life is certain. Regardless, starting your own gig requires not only the capital for investment, but also the wisdom to invest in the right opportunities. As for law, I don’t know much about it but you can consider speaking with successful lawyers or schoolmates who are studying law to learn about potential opportunities in the field. In healthcare, earning a significant income typically requires at least 7 years of experience. To succeed in management consulting, you need to have exceptional ideas that can turn struggling companies around. This can be achieved either by working for one of the big five consulting firms, or starting your own business, but either way, prior knowledge and experience are necessary. Acquiring the skills needed to earn a lot of money in these industries takes time. Although that may sound discouraging, I have some positive news. Did you know that many industries have something in common? They all use technology-enhancing tools to make their processes more efficient. From excel spreadsheets to mobile phones, these tools make life easier. That’s why technologists hold many spots on the Forbes list. Yes, I know it sounds like professional deformation – seeing things through the lens of your profession. But don’t worry, you’ll soon understand what I mean. 🏛️
Thanks for reading. If there's anything you'd like to chat about, or if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you. :)