There Is Hope

A lot of people want to be athletes or entertainers because they have fame and fortune.

I had to quit playing basketball when I was 16 because everybody else was faster, could jump higher, and taller than me. =( I was a decent point guard for a 16-year-old, but I'm not a naturally talented athlete like PhelpsFish or Jang Mi-Ran.

There's also no way I could have been an entertainer because I'm too shy (introverted) and average looking.

So, what are average people supposed to do?

Recently, I asked some of my older students (who have stable jobs), what characteristics are needed to get a job. The answers were: a good personality, punctuality, specialized skills, and the ability to work with others.

Here's the good news for the rest of us. The highest paid people in the world are managers (CEOs of companies). These people are not good-looking or talented athletes. Good management skills can be learned and promotions can be earned through hard work. It's nice to know that your brain is your most valuable asset.

Average salary of a CEO managing an S&P 500 company: $10.54 million a year

Highest annual salaries:

Larry Ellison (Oracle) $84.6 million lol That means he gets roughly $7 million a month.

John Thain (Merrill Lynch) $83 million Is he jealous of the first guy?

Kenneth Chenault (American Express) $50 million

Remember, these are just their salaries. They also get stock options.
By the way, Steve Jobs of Apple has the lowest salary: $1 a year.

One of my friends in Korea gets a salary of $2-3 million a year. He works for Credit Suisse Group. (Sorry girls but he's already married.)

Another friend in Korea makes $500,000 a year. He is a children's hagwon owner.

These guys are both average looking and in poor shape. So, we can stop focusing on our appearance and use our heads. =)