High Risk, High Gain. Making serious money in months instead of years.
Ideas?

I will try to be as straightforward and informative as I can.  Please
feel free to ask questions.  I know I have a tendency to forget
important details.

Intro: Someone once told me that out in the Pacific Ocean around
Alaska some fishing companies look for young college students who want
a quick $30k.  What they say is that if you work your ass off for 2-3
months over the summer, you will get something around $20-$30k.  The
catch is that about 30% of these guys will lose arms, legs, or even
die because a lot of heavy and dangerous machinery is involved.  This
got me thinking.  Can I get anywhere near this amount of money without
the risk?

If I wanted to make thousands of dollars in months, not years, what
would I have to do?  I am educated, intelligent, motivated, and I work
well under pressure.  The USA is where I currently live, but I would
be more than willing to travel or move as long as long I am assured
that it will be quickly rewarded.  Skilled at working with people and
have acquired friends in high places, I am able to work in virtually
any environment.

I just turned 16 and have graduated from high school.  I already have
had 5 jobs over the last 4 years(never was fired, usually was just a
temp. job), and I have great references.  As I am sure it is, if my
age prohibits all ideas that you can come up with, then answer my
question as if I were 18... I have patience.

A great answer will keep in mind that I am 16 and that I have parents
who are very open to me trying new things, as long as I will come home
all in one piece.  I would appreciate seeing more ideas than just
throwing out tons of links.  Personal experience in a job you suggest
is a definite plus.  Illegal activities, or jobs that have anything
more than a 1% chance of certain death are out of the question(if you
have a sketchy idea, feel free to say it though... all ideas are open
to discussion).

Keep in mind that I tip well, and that given that tips go directly to
you without being skimmed by Google, I am likely to be pretty
generous.  If I think what you say has a very good possibility of
working out, then I will splurge and be extra nice because in a couple
months I'd be making so much money that your tip would be lost in the
noise :-))

Note:  If it is just true that high gain comes with high risk, then I
will accept any proposals, but only as a last resort.

---

Clarification of Question by igabe-ga on 07 Feb 2003 19:03 PST

On the chance that I did not say this clearly enough, scroll down at
http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=157134 to see
proof that I tip well for great answers.  :-))  $20 tip on a $15
question.

I think my question is 'what time frame?'
Thousands of dollars a month should be
an easy goal for someone like yourself,
and you will find that the market will reward
you for:
Risk
Doing what others prefer not to - like work in mortuaries
Skills which are in higher demand then supply
Hard work
Creativity
Doing something to create value or move products (sales)
Talent or ability to garner an audience

Now, without going further (this list is long), all of these
will require hard work, risk to obtain or sacrifice.
For your age, unless you do not like the 'college'
path, creativity is your best bet (I am bias though).
When I was in my late 20s/early 30s I used to
bill clients almost $3000/day.  This came as a result
of working for a top tier consulting firm, which was
the result of knocking off three degrees by 26 and
having already worked for 5 years by the same age.

Not sure what your rush is, you should be worried
about finding something you enjoy.  Almost no one
has ever been successful making money doing
something they hate - they never are able to put
their heart and soul into it, and give up, fail and start anew.

One last thing, I saw a movie, a documentary, about
Alaskan Crab fishing and know people who have done it.
It is HARD, and requires risk AND sacrifice.  You have
no life for the summer, are out on a boat or in a cannery
ankle deep in fish guts.  Watch the movie and investigate
wisely, you might get what you wish for.

I would post something to this effect as an answer, but you might not
want to hear the truth. :)

As someone who has personally experienced, as well as endeavored down
the paths of money-making, I've realized there are 3 golden rules in
this life:

1) There is no such thing as a free lunch.  If it is free, it's most
likely missing that special sauce you wanted, or the source you got it
from will require something of you at some point in the future.
2) It takes money to make money.
3) You will get paid in direct proportion to the amount of work you do
or risk you take.  There are no real pie-in-the-sky get-rich-quick
ordeals.  Everything takes the proportional amount of work, except for
winning the lottery. :)

The only ways of making lots of money quickly are also the only ways
of losing lots of money just as fast.  Gambling affords quick returns
in seconds, but will normally more quickly lead to financial demise.

The one exception to these rules is if you have a rich uncle who likes
to spoil you. :)

jbf777-ga
GA Researcher