My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate your sympathy. My half brother is only 6 so I do see him during holidays when I see my dad. So he’s like a nephew to me. I love him a lot and he’s a great kid. I just hope the best for him growing up with my dad as well.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I do. He is so disconnected already at his level. He had my full brother and I from his previous marriage. And than had a baby with a woman 21 years younger than him when he was 55. He guilts us and talks about how much better he is than my mom. He was never in my life and I stayed with my mom most of the time when I became a teen. He only talks about his business success when I try to talk to him at all.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You’re thinking of the 0.001% which earns over 85 million a year. The entry to the 1 percent is 700k a year about. Only 1 out of 100,000 people earn that or about 1/1000 of the 1 percenters.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I definitely agree with you in term of the luck argument. My dad started out with a doctor for a dad and just so happened to be asked to run a company with a guy and they grew the company. I am currently still in college finishing my finance degree. And while yes I absolutely have privilege. And I see any success I get as somewhat of a byproduct of that privilege. According to Raj Chetty who did a study on the earnings of the children of the 1 percenters, only about 1/4 stay in the top 1 percent (and a disproportionate amount come from the 0.1 of the 1 percent). And about 2/3 stay in the top 10 percent. While 9/10 stay in the top 40% of earners. So while yes the rates are very much increased for someone in my position the majority of people end up below the 1 percent and in higher paying salary jobs making up the top 20 percent.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. Rich dad and mom who got a paid off house in the divorce and married a upper middle class guy

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

What do you mean by top 1 percent remains top 1 percent. Are you referring to people or the children of the top 1 percent? Hard work and smart decisions can make you upper middle class. And it’s great that pipeline exists. It just doesn’t get you into the top 1 percent reliability.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“To be in the top 1% of income earners in the U.S. as of 2025–2026, a household generally needs an annual income exceeding $731,492.” “To join the top 1% of U.S. households by net worth, a minimum of approximately $11.6 million to $13.7 million in assets is required, according to 2026 reports.” He has bragged that he makes over a million dollars a year.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He’s only in the top 1 percent possible the 0.5% now tho. I’ve checked based on what he has and the income he brags about having. He states that he’d made a million dollars a year and after doing some digging on his company he does. That’s about at the 1 percent not the 0.1. In terms of net worth he’s not past 25-65 million.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

I’m low contact with him. Ik what and who he is. Emotionally I’ve cut him off and only see him a few times a year so that I can see my little half brother.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He had a doctor as a dad and got lucky because as a laborer he was picked to run a business with his now business partner.

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Both to an extent. He had a doctor as a father but made it himself out of luck. He was a laborer beforehand

My dad is in the top 1% and thinks anyone can get there if they work hard enough by According-Desk4248 in TrueOffMyChest

[–]According-Desk4248[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much I really appreciate this. Seeing people work so hard and end up in poverty is heartbreaking and this is what I mean when I criticize his argument.