Boy, I'll say. I'm not rich but I would be a lot closer to it if I had back the dough I have lost -- even before any dot-coms. To be wealthy (other than by inheritance) does require a neat combination of energy, action, brains and timing. But in some instances it also involves rip-off escapades. Imagine if Gates was fined at going rates for every American labor hour that was wasted because his products were defective -- reinstalls, reboots, rewriting lost documents, etc. I daresay it would be right up close to his total wealth!

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