Money Never Sleeps

Tonight, I finished Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps with my wife.

(And as I write this, I realise the importance of punctuation. Just so we’re clear, Wall Street isn’t sleeping with my wife.)

Anyway… I’m writing this while drinking a pink gin fizz, with Oisín O’Malley playing in the background. It’s 11 PM on a Saturday night, and I don’t typically follow watch reviewers. But the guy has some interesting takes on politics and masculinity, which caught my attention. Now, I consider myself more assertive than most, but I’m no idiot. I’m not out here looking to catch a punch and leave my kids fatherless, even if the mortgage is paid off. Would that be a win for them? Not really. I mention this because Oisín is the kind of ‘alpha’ we should be paying more attention to in the West. Less Andrew Tate, more Oisín. For starters, the man has massive wrists, something I find oddly impressive. More importantly, though, he’s got principles. Even when he’s acting like a diva in online squabbles, there’s still something gentlemanly about him. I like that. He’s what the younger conservatives would call “based,” though they probably wouldn’t use that word for him. That’s just how I see it.

So, why am I writing this?

Well, as I said, I just wrapped up watching one of my favourite films, and it got me thinking about some money thoughts I’ve had for a while, thoughts that might be a bit controversial but worth sharing. So let’s start with a big question…

I’m not rich, but I’m far from poor, like most of you reading this. And yet, I’ve somehow stumbled into a life that’s a bit of a dream. The house, the cars, no 40 acres and a mule, but there’s a piano and a guitar (Kendrick reference) in the building we’re closing on for my wife’s business. It’s surreal that we can do this. Buy property others can’t and watch it double the money just because of how it’s set up. And yes, this is also based on cashing in on the value I bring the market today... but still fairly crazy stuff. I just can’t shake the feeling that someday, people might come for us. And honestly? Maybe we deserve it. I think the frustrating thing is the knowledge that as you aim for the ivory tower, you’re likely to smash the double glazed windows in our humble 4 bed detached. Maybe that’s not humble in today’s world? But it sure feels humble. Yeah, we all likely deserve it.

From my tone, you can tell that this doesn’t mean I’m stopping...It’s smart, and it works.

If you can’t buy, can’t leverage what you’ve got for low-to-no interest loans, you have to trade the entirety of your time for money. And we all know how slow that is. You’ve heard the concept: “When I needed credit, I couldn’t get it. Now I’ve got plenty, and they throw it at me.” Well, that’s the reality. I’ve got a massively impressive credit score in two countries now, a real flex. My politics have shifted along the way. I used to think that I was the problem, but once I had a bit of money, I just started aiming my frustration two tax brackets higher. Those people over there are the problem now, right? Tax them. And that’s the conundrum, you lose all objectivity.

The truth is, the system’s broken. On paper, a kid from where I’m from shouldn’t be able to pull this stuff off using only bravery and interpersonal savvy (or maybe he should?) Who can say? What I can say is that I have finessed my way through a lot of this life, so I’m not particularly surprised that I’m here.

Now money? It doesn’t care. Capitalism says, “Cash is king.” Or as one film put it, There’s no point in living if you can’t feel alive.

So, here I am…living the life, as they say. However, I don’t feel it. The system’s rigged, and we all know it. Still, we play the game. Because it works, for now at least. The question is: If cash is king, how long can the crown stay on its head before the kingdom collapses? Maybe that’s a thought for another night?

For now, I’ll sip my gin, close the door on Wall Street, and think about what tomorrow brings.

On what's actually worth paying for: Beige Flexing.