If only I could invent something like Facebook then I wouldn’t have to worry about getting a job. If only I could come up with an idea like that then I would be better off.
And that is what I like to call The Facebook Myth. The belief that we all have the ability inside of us to found or invent a billion dollar idea. You’ve been reading The Secret and watching Oprah too much. Do I think the ability is in each person? Maybe, but the probability is less than 1% of 1%.
There are about 350,000,000 people in the US. Figure 50% of them are children and teenagers who add less than 1% value to the productive economy. There are about 500 billionaires in the US. (Thank you Wiki) That is .000001 % of the population. That is your chance of becoming a billionaire.
There are 8,000,000 millionaires in the US. (Thank you again Wiki) Those odds are a bit more in your favor. 2.2% to be precise. You have a 2% chance in becoming a millionaire. To be a bit more realistic we should separate those under 18 and that increases your chances to about 5%.
You could subtract out the federal, state, and county workers who will most likely never become rich and increase your odds to about 10%.
I’m fully confident in saying that you will not become a billionaire founder who will become the next Facebook. If you’re reading this post by some random guy in Texas than the odds are even greater that you will not become a billionaire. Or be the next Mark Zuckerburg.
Recruiting the impossible 