Ok, so, during the tech boom of the late 90s, a lot of people owned
stock that went way up in price, then went way back down. So they
didn't end up making any money. Or maybe they lost money. BUT there
were some people who, through skill or fate, did get rich and stay
rich. Maybe they sold their stock while it was high. In any case, it's
this last group that I'm interested in. Specifically, I want to know
about programmers, in their 20s, who got rich during the dot com boom.
(By "rich", I mean they are now worth on the order of, say, $1 million
to $10 million. I'm really only interested in programmers, not VCs,
not MBAs.) I want to know how these rich young nerds are doing now.
Are they retired? Did they switch careers? Are they happier now that
they have money? Or are they suicidal because they don't know what to
do with themselves now that they don't need to work? What do they
think about their new life situation?

I knew a few people in this category, none in their 20s.

The ones I knew are mostly still working in their chosen profession,
even though they don't have to worry about car payments.  Not too
surprisingly, the successful entrepreneurs mostly had connections to
and love for the software and information-technology industries that
went beyond the money.

Two guys I know spent a year or two doing things like running the
Colorado River in canoes.  But, they're back in the saddle now.

One, in his late 40s, is going to divinity school studying to be a minister.

One of the more famous Jamie Zawinski, one of the original programmers
for Netscape.  He got out of the programming rat race a few years back
after making untold millions.  Today he is trying to bring some of the
live music and night life back to the San Francisco community via his
club called the DNA Lounge.

You can check out the club website at http://www.dnalounge.com or read
one of his many and varied personal essays of his life experiences
over the past ten years at http://www.jwz.org/gruntle/

Hi beatle,

Here are a few related articles which may be of interest:

Dot-com millionaires still looking to change the world: Biggest
challenge is what to do next
<http://tinyurl.com/zbec>

Microsoft Millionaires Grapple with Wealth
<http://www.bizreport.com/article.php?art_id=4728>

Mark Shuttleworth
<http://www.permanent.com/news/2002-04-25-shuttleworth.htm>

These are dated within the last year and a half or so, well after the
tech bubble burst. The subjects concerned, though, are mostly in their
30s and 40s and were in executive positions. Still, interesting
reading.

Searched on:

young retired dot com millionaires
dot com millionaires
dot com success stories

Emjay-ga