im guessing y'all have personal responsibility? Why aren't y'all rich business millionaires then?
Me personally, I don't believe our system is setup to where just ANYBODY can become a millionaire if they just "put their mind to it". Unless you live a very minimalist lifestyle, start investing early, and invest the vast majority of everything to where you potentially become a millionaire at 70, most people are going to need to have MAJOR impacts in the economy in order to achieve this level of wealth.
Let's look at the US individual income breakdown (remember, this is individual income, not household):
- 50% of individuals make less than $25k, this is considered the lower class
- 16% to 29% of individuals make $27k - $35k a year which is considered the median US income and also is considered the working class
- 6% to 15% of individuals make $37k - $90k a year, which is considered middle class
- 2% to 5% make $100k - $220k, which is considered higher class
- 1% and less make over $250k, which is considered the rich
Now, obviously the purchasing power of individuals will be completely different based on where you live, this measurement is based on a NATIONAL measurement. Obviously, if someone lives in a high cost of living area, "middle class" will look completely different.
Now, I'm saying all of this to say that about 80% of individuals in the country make less than $35,000 a year. If you get into the middle class, to me, you have been successful (again, as long as you aren't in a high cost of living area which requires more income).
I believe if people put their mind to it, worked hard, etc., then you can WORK into the middle class. Now in regards to working into the higher class and the rich categories, I think those require much more than "hard work" and requires most likely very strong networks.