Money Profile: Anthony Bourdain

[NW-Bound]

You're not alone. Here's a quote from some guy who seems to have the same approach as you:

When John D. Rockefeller was asked how much money was enough, he replied: "A little bit more."

In inflation adjusted dollars, Rockefeller's net worth is estimated at $392 billion dollars, far more than Bill Gates now at $75B. If I only had a tiny, tiny portion of his money, I would be satisfied.

But I do not have that much, and Bourdain most likely has much more than I do now at this point. So, I am allowed to be wanting some more. Nobody gives me any, so I try to goose my stash a bit with some biotechs, like Fermion has been doing.

 

[harley]

You do have a tiny, tiny portion of his money. Very tiny.

 

[FI_RElater]

+1
Couldn't have said it better. Many people have learned from the school of hard knocks.

Remember that in the school of hard knocks...
You get the test first and then the lesson

 

[NW-Bound]

You do have a tiny, tiny portion of his money. Very tiny.

I wonder if these billionaires do OMY to make sure that they can live off dividends and do not have to touch principal.

I am betting that is it. The S&P pays only 1.9% now. Who can live on that?

And then, the healthcare for the end years is very expensive. One can look at Steve Jobs for an example.

 

[Hyperborea]

I wonder if these billionaires do OMY to make sure that they can live off dividends and do not have to touch principal.

It's not the money for them; it's the power. If it was money then any sane person would never need that amount of money for even a lavish lifestyle. It's the ability to tell others what to do and feel important.

 

[NW-Bound]

Just joking.

It's not always power either. I remember Soros once said that being able to make money was the best way to show (perhaps just to himself) that his view of the world was correct.

But for me, I do not have that much (Bourdain most likely has way more than I do). So, I want more money for its own sake, not for power or to show off or anything. Of course, if I could prove to myself that I could read the market well, then it's an accomplishment too.

 

[Jack_Pine]

He does a one-man live show. We saw him in Philadelphia a few months ago. Just him, a stool and a glass of water. It was excellent.

That would be really cool. Have to google schedule. Thanks

 

[lhamo]

I am a fan of both Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern. The latter also had a drug problem before he entered the culinary world. I don't hold that against someone --in fact, I think it is great that both of them came through their drug use/addictions and now bring so much value sharing different foods and cultures with us.

Zimmern's drug problems are discussed at some length in his podcast interview with Tim Ferris from a couple years ago:

Andrew Zimmern on Simple Cooking Tricks, Developing TV, and Addiction | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

 

[NW-Bound]

I have watched a few episodes of Bizarre Food, but never thought of looking up Zimmern's background. I went to the above link, but did not want to commit to a long audio clip, and they do not have a transcript.

Found the following site that has a short biography of Zimmern: A one-way plane ticket saved Andrew Zimmern's life - CNN.com.

 

[unclemick]

I don't have his stomach nor his views of money growing up.

heh heh heh - however watch him a lot (tonight in fact) and am ?happy to be able to pay my taxes.

 

[dixonge]

Being a big foodie, I've enjoyed his shows. Learning about his past and background, I have lost a lot of respect for him. Most likely, I'll watch something else instead.

So because he overcame a lot of bad decisions and turned his life around, you *lost* respect

Huh. That's interesting...

 

[razztazz]

So because he overcame a lot of bad decisions and turned his life around, you *lost* respect

Huh. That's interesting...

I think he means if he had known about Bourdain's dissolute modus vivendi he would never have warranted respect in the first place.

 

[Nemo2]

I think he means if he had known about Bourdain's dissolute modus vivendi he would never have warranted respect in the first place.

Currently, being about 2/3rds of the way through Bourdain's book, it appears that he ranked/ranks right up among the most virtuous members of kitchen personnel worldwide.

 

[razztazz]

Currently, being about 2/3rds of the way through Bourdain's book, it appears that he ranked/ranks right up among the most virtuous members of kitchen personnel worldwide.

I haven't read the book but have heard him talk and seen some interviews. Apparently the "cooking professions" have a high built-in sleaze factor. Nobody on the outside knows what's really going on in there so I guess it self-selects for people who don't want people to know what they're doing in there

 

[Hyperborea]

I haven't read the book but have heard him talk and seen some interviews. Apparently the "cooking professions" have a high built-in sleaze factor. Nobody on the outside knows what's really going on in there so I guess it self-selects for people who don't want people to know what they're doing in there

I don't think that the factor of "Nobody on the outside knows what's really going on" is the reason. From what I understand, it's to do with the terrible hours that few people who can get regular jobs want to put up with, the fact that commercial kitchens don't care how you look (tattoos, green hair, etc.), and that with the high turnover it's easy for those who fall in and out of various trouble (jail, addictions, etc.) to pick up a new job pretty easily.

 

[Winemaker]

So because he overcame a lot of bad decisions and turned his life around, you *lost* respect

Huh. That's interesting...

I think some of you are taking my comments way too seriously. As I said earlier, I am a foodie, enjoying gardening and cooking, making and tasting wines, making hams, bacon, sausage and smelling the roses. I like AB's shows on TV for the food element and as a supervisor for many years, admired the "good" side of his audacious attitude of the show. But I understand his attitude, I used it as a supervisor.

Okay, he overcame some bad decisions, wrote a few books on cooking, and is a successful TV star. Eric Clapton, another celebrity,as well as others, has made some similiar bad decisions, too. I lost some respect for him, too.

Nothing interesting about that either, but Clapton isn't on TV weekly trying to show how cool he is. Therefore, if given a choice between 2 shows, I'll skip AB. Maybe, put Clapton's Crossroads DVD on.

 

[Fedup]

I lost no respect for Eric Clapton. He is human. Maybe that's why he plays guitar so well.

 

[Hyperborea]

I lost no respect for Eric Clapton. He is human. Maybe that's why he plays guitar so well.

Clapton is God.

 

[Fedup]

I hope that is the same a John Mayal that I saw in Hungtington a Beach nearly 30 years ago. But that guy's name is spelled with one l vs Mayall.

 

[marko]

I don't think that the factor of "Nobody on the outside knows what's really going on" is the reason. From what I understand, it's to do with the terrible hours that few people who can get regular jobs want to put up with, the fact that commercial kitchens don't care how you look (tattoos, green hair, etc.), and that with the high turnover it's easy for those who fall in and out of various trouble (jail, addictions, etc.) to pick up a new job pretty easily.

Speaking from experience, your observations are spot on. With the exception of college kids working summers, my take is that--for the most part--long term restaurant people are their own breed.

They bristle at the whole 9 to 5 grind and like working like hell during the busy season and then take a few months off and then find someplace else to work.

Of course, I'm not talking about everyone's Aunt Bessie who worked 40 years at the local diner, but there also seems to be a higher than average population of recovering or current drug/alcohol abusers than in other industries.

The work is hard but the money is generally pretty good for someone with options limited by lifestyle choices or circumstance.

 

[Nemo2]

He still, from the exterior anyway, looks pretty good...his dissolute background notwithstanding:

Are these the PERFECT scrambled eggs? | Daily Mail Online

 

[Bestwifeever]

I have put a hold at the library on the 2004 11-episode sitcom, Kitchen Confidential, starting Bradley Cooper as Jack Bourdain. I believe it may be on Hulu and truly terrible as only four episodes aired on Fox, but Bradley Cooper....

 

[razztazz]

Speaking from experience, your observations are spot on. With the exception of college kids working summers, my take is that--for the most part--long term restaurant people are their own breed.

They bristle at the whole 9 to 5 grind and like working like hell during the busy season and then take a few months off and then find someplace else to work.

Of course, I'm not talking about everyone's Aunt Bessie who worked 40 years at the local diner, but there also seems to be a higher than average population of recovering or current drug/alcohol abusers than in other industries.

The work is hard but the money is generally pretty good for someone with options limited by lifestyle choices or circumstance.

Hey! This sounds like something I might have been able to do! One thing I liked about my Air Force job was the weird hours and work till you drop -followed by- vast expanses of light duty/time-off. I didn't drink or get into that stuff but most of the rest of the military were all alcoholics. Nice to know I had options available that I didn't have to use

 

[Danmar]

That said - I would *never* try to outdrink him. LOL.
.

Yes, I think this is one of the things that reminds my daughter of me. He did say once that he doesn't drink as much when at home. Probably a good thing too.

 

[Running_Man]

My daughter loves this guy and has watched his shows for years. She says Bourdain reminds her of me. I'm flattered but his financial background and early lifestyle couldn't be more different than mine.

I also enjoy his shows and watch them whenever I can. I like his apparent attitude and personality.

Better be careful Bourdain admitted to stealing his mothers money to buy crack cocaine: His logic “when you need drugs you take the money you need from people that have it available"