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Comment by beaner | Hacker News Reader

Not everyone, if put in Bill Gates' shoes, would have been able to take advantage of such an opportunity. Can you say that if you were there, you'd have done the same? And executed as well afterward, into a multi-billion dollar company?

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That's the wrong question.

Would Bill Gates have been able to do what he did if he grew up poor, with poor nutrition and poor education? We all owe our success to good fortune and the prosperous society we find ourselves lucky enough to be a part of.

Maybe, maybe not. But what's definitely true is he's exception with respect to his own peer group. Tons of kids had the advantages he had. Only one of them started Microsoft.

That is not true. If Bill Gates grew up like that, he would've been labeled a "self made success" even making $50k yearly. He is from a rich background and thus we have to compare him to his peers - and he definitely is successful and that success is self made compared to anyone from upper middle class - but that doesn't have to do anything with the fact that Bill Gates wouldn't have been able to do what he did if he didn't have rich background (is it even practically possible?).

Maybe he wouldn't have. Maybe someone like him with billions of dollars should start a foundation to try and help prevent poverty, malnutrition, lack-of-education and disease so more people can lead fulfilling lives.

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