Tilting At Windmills

Tilting At Windmills

Earning a billion dollars

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Tom Knighton
May 21, 2026
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white and red passenger plane on airport during daytime
Photo by Alen Kajtezovic on Unsplash

AOC doesn’t think anyone can earn a billion dollars. Well, she doesn’t think, but that doesn’t stop her from saying stuff like how it’s impossible to earn a billion dollars.

And, to be fair, it’s true if you’re talking about just going to a job and earning a paycheck. You might be able to invest wisely and become a millionaire, and if you get really lucky, you might hit a billion if something takes off to some insane level, at least hypothetically, but you can’t do it with a wage.

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But her claim is that you can’t do it ethically. You can’t become a billionaire without hurting others, and that’s simply not true. What’s more, someone who leans pretty left in his politics just told the whole world how you can earn a billion.

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