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The age does matter.

If you are elderly you can't simply go get a job. You can't start a business, much less gamble with all that you have left to start a business that may well fail.

“Decent” is a relative term. A billion or so people would be really happy with a $5,000 annual income, so what. Would you be happy with that? Would you call it “decent” just because they would?

Stop taking this so personally.

“If you are elderly you can’t simply go get a job. You can’t start a business, much less gamble with all that you have left to start a business that may well fail.”

Get a job as a wal-mart greeter, and quit telling the poor they have to bailout the rich. If you are stupid enough to put 100% of your wealth with a high risk investment, you’re smart enough to work as a greeter at wal-mart.

The age does matter.

If you are elderly you can't simply go get a job. You can't start a business, much less gamble with all that you have left to start a business that may well fail.

My mother is 86. She has a modest teacher retirement. She lives in a modest house that they built themselves. She has a "decent" life. She has never seen $500,000 though.

“Decent” is a relative term. A billion or so people would be really happy with a $5,000 annual income, so what. Would you be happy with that? Would you call it “decent” just because they would?

There are many asset levels below $500,000 that I would call "decent". With the $25,000 base income you suggested....going to work at the US average wage would still put the guy $25,000 ahead of the average US wage. He should count his blessings that he has $500,000 in the bank. Most do not.

Stop taking this so personally.

I am merely pointing out that I IN NO WAY feel sorry for someone who had $20,000,000.....invested it very, very, poorly.....and still has $500,000 that most Americans do not have. There is zero sympathy there. The guy can go to work for the average US wage and do just fine with a life that the vast majority would consider "decent".

As for "decent" being a relative term....I am sure that George Soros would probably consider nearly everyone else's living "indecent". That sort of relativism means little to me, or most others. Take the $500,000 and be very happy you didn't foolishly lose it too.