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Comment by jacquesm | Hacker News Reader

I don't see the correlation between 'being an asshole' and 'sold my start-up'.

There are plenty of successful entrepreneurs that are perfectly capable of relating to others and treating their fellow men, friends and family with dignity and respect.

Some people succeed because they're playing nice with others, some succeed in spite of not being able to do so, some even succeed because they are are assholes.

There is no correlation here and you probably won't be able to extract many lessons from this piece, no one talks about it because it isn't a particularly common experience.

Wealth does not typically turn assholes in to non-assholes.

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I read this article in the same way. Some kind of narcissistic personality that doesn't want to account for they are simply an arsehole and needs excuses. Sound like when they were CEO of ~100 employees they could get away with people accepting this behavior and feel accepted but now they lost 'im in control of your career' the reality check is here and they are looking for excuses.

Exactly... I had the opportunity to meet an almost Billion dollar company founder. I went in feeling awkward but he was very nice, treated me with dignity and respect and never once did I feel uncomfortable. Within minutes, I felt like I was conversing with any one of my other colleagues or friends.

This is a learned skill anyone can refine, even before picking up their FU money, at virtually any income level. Even if you are a uni student; perhaps especially if you are a uni student. Nearly anywhere you go in the world, there will be people living in destitution on the streets. While a good proportion in the US have mental and substance abuse issues, an astounding number are starved for simple, decent, human companionship. Just someone, anyone, who treats them as another decent human being. Instead of a "drive-by", "dialing-it-in" donation where you hand them some goods and/or money, receive a "thank you", and that is the extent of the interaction (though they do appreciate that as well).

Sit down with them. Offer to buy them a meal at a nearby diner and say you want someone to chat with. Ask them how their day has been. Be a conversationalist to listen to their stories; and boy, do some of them ever have stories. Imagine you two are sitting next to each other on the same bus, and have an hour until you reach your destination.

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