Have You Got Friends Who May Have Made You Rich But Lost Contact?

[derekwong28]

Have you got friends and relatives who may have made you rich but you are no longer in contact? I certainly have quite a few, but the most intriguing of all is Andy Wong (no relation)

MEET THE WONGS - Arts & Entertainment - The Independent



He was my best friend at high school but we lost contact once he went on to read law at Cambridge. I remember that he boosted that he will be in Who's Who one day. His wife is now the Chairman of Sotheby's China and SE Asia. Their annual Chinese New Year party in London is the high society of the year with royalty, aristocrats, and billionaires in attendance. Just think of all the potential contacts I could have had.

This is just a thought though, I have no regrets in now following up our friendship. His lifestyle is just not my lifestyle. I remember being shocked at school when he showed me a condom in his wallet.

Derek

[Mike Shain]

Yeah I had a friend that was kinda dorky and one you wouldn't expect to hear great things about.

He went on to make a fortune in software - and I didn't even know he knew much about computers. Go figure.

[ExRat]

Hi Derek,

Look on the bright side -

Their annual Chinese New Year party in London is the high society of the year with royalty, aristocrats, and billionaires in attendance

The billionaires are probably alright, but having to socialize with high society, aristocrats and royalty and their hangers-on is a punishment I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. It would appear to be the sort of environment where everyone has an agenda, rendering it virtually impossible to make meaningful personal connections.

A point which, coincidentally, you kind of demonstrated with your choice of wording in the title -

Friends Who May Have Made You Rich

The only wealth worth having is one that you have had to fight with all your worth for and created yourself. Any other kind of inherited or gifted wealth will slip away as easily as it arrived leaving the person craving it forever, but totally unequipped to create it. It's the way of the universe - designed to encourage us to learn how to independently feather our nests and thus improve the evolutionary gene pool.

Every second you spend considering whether someone else could have made you wealthy, is a second wasted that could have been applied positively towards growth, knowledge and self-made wealth.

[nitin22]

Once I saw a site being shut down because owner was just too tired running it without making any money at all.
I emailed him and requested to transfer the domain and site to me. He did that. I did some SEO tweaking and made close to $700 a month for next 3 years. Unfortunately the only contact with that guy was the email address and that belonged to same domain name that I was owning now.

So here I take opportunity to thank you previous owner of tabster.com (during 2000-2001).

[wassim]

Derek,

I know some friends might disappoint us sometimes. However you should always remember that the person you're talking about was someday a real friend. Friends do not talk about each other even if they break their relationships. That's the glory of friendship, you always have to respect it and you should always keep secrets and only mention your friends in a good manner, whether they are real ones now, or they are simply from the past. Therefore, the condom story that you mentioned was not a nice thing of you to do.

[Zulfus]

Originally Posted by wassim

Derek,

I know some friends might disappoint us sometimes. However you should always remember that the person you're talking about was someday a real friend. Friends do not talk about each other even if they break their relationships. That's the glory of friendship, you always have to respect it and you should always keep secrets and only mention your friends in a good manner, whether they are real ones now, or they are simply from the past. Therefore, the condom story that you mentioned was not a nice thing of you to do.

I don't think he meant it in a derogatory manner. I think he was just demonstrating the sort of relationship he used to have with him. Plus, having a condom in your wallet is hardly something to be ashamed of

Zul

[wassim]

Zul,

Yes I know that Derek did not mean it in a derogatory manner. I got his point, but I was simply against what he mentioned lastly. Even if Derek was showing the sort of relationship they had, I think the fact of mentioning the condom thing turns bad towards his friend. Anyway I did not mean to be rude towards Derek... Sorry Derek if that's how it seemed like.

Originally Posted by Zulfus

I don't think he meant it in a derogatory manner. I think he was just demonstrating the sort of relationship he used to have with him. Plus, having a condom in your wallet is hardly something to be ashamed of

Zul

[JackPowers]

Originally Posted by ExRat

The only wealth worth having is one that you have had to fight with all your worth for and created yourself. Any other kind of inherited or gifted wealth will slip away as easily as it arrived leaving the person craving it forever, but totally unequipped to create it. It's the way of the universe - designed to encourage us to learn how to independently feather our nests and thus improve the evolutionary gene pool.

I agree with you 100%.

I always wonder what would my life be if I won the lottery (and I don't play). What would I do with $10 mio. that I didn't work for? I am guessing total burnout from chasing one cheap (or expensive) thrill after the other, but still having that nagging doubt inside if wether I really deserved it or not. You wouldn't have developed the skills and experiences or connections needed to be succesful. Sure, you could start a business or invest the money and do well, but it wouldn't be YOURS.

It wouldn't be the culmination of YOUR hard work, YOUR effort, YOUR creation.

That's how I feel anyway and that's why I can live with not making that much money yet.

[rocketmail009]

You Got Friends Who May Have Made You Rich But Lost Contact its mean you are in love

love is not as the food for a dog or any item that shouls be sold in kg basis

love is an emotion which borns from hearts

sometimes it starts from first look and sometimes it takes some time

but we can't make somebody love us forcefully

if u still wants to make relation with somebody after knowing that she does not want u r friendship then u can't be called a friend at all

try to think in her point of view once(if u can)

[ExRat]

Hi Jack,

I agree with you 100%

Ha! I managed to flush out someone like-minded.

I really like this Chinese proverb that sums it up for me, and contains a wealth of wisdom in a small package -

'The journey is the reward'

And specifically regarding the OP's point, I'd rather focus on doing things that might make others regret losing contact with me

[Chris Stigson]

I'm on the other side of the fence. I tend to want to help the people who are not yet successful and want to help them build something out of their life. I'm still 21 so have not really broke contact with too many friends, but it's getting less contact each year I guess.

That friend you had though would have been a huge asset for you, lol

- Chris

[derekwong28]

Roger, what I meant was if I knew some of their guests, there would have been a chance for networking and getting new business. But alas I was not a plastic surgeon but a virologist who worked in a laboratory.

Wassim, you are almost as prude as I was! He would have regarded it as a compliment! There are lots of people around who are very proud of showing off their exploits at a young age. He was very proud of it and his parents were fully aware of it. My mother is still in regular contact with his mother and so we are not completely cut off in a sense.

Anyway, if you read that piece again in the Interpendent, it seems obvious that these are not normal parties.


"And so it came to pass that HRH The Duke of York climbed the steps to Pall Mall's bookish gentleman's club, only to be jumped by a bare-breasted lovely clad in transparent cape, feathery mask and G-string. The Prince looked agog; the paparazzi called it a night.

They agree that their parents wouldn't enjoy their parties.

"They used to loathe it. Both families are kind of anti-publicity. For them it's like, `Oh God, what are you doing?'"

There are people on stilts, a horizontal, naked woman covered in sushi, an acrobat suspended from the ceiling by silk drapes and some quite spectacularly loud indoor fireworks.

But there's also lots drunk people braying, middle-age men letching after women half their age"

I mean, just who would go to a party dressed up like this?



Andy And Patti Wong Chinese New Year Party(Jasmine Lennard)

Perhaps a better title for this thread would be "Who would have liked to go to these parties?"

Derek