<p>I've always wondered, in gated communities where there are very, very big houses with amazing scenic views and fabulous landscaping, what occupations do these people have? Obviously I can't go ding dong at these houses and ask what they do, so I wanted to know if anyone around here knows any friends or family that have them. I know doctors would be in here obviously, but there are many more. Any ideas?</p>
<p>WASP(10 char)</p>
<p>People who inherited a lot of family money, or made the right investments.</p>
<p>Real Estate developers, investment bankers, high end lobbyists, owner/founder of a successful corporation... Or people who inherited their money.</p>
<p>I live in a wealthy neighborhood and near other multimillion dollar towns... mostly they are:</p>
<p>-Real Estate Developers
-Stock Brokers
-Doctors
-The owner of Levi's Jeans's son lives in my town
-Investment Bankers
-As said people who inherit money (alot of kids in my school will be rich w/o a doubt because of their parents)
-Financiers and Accountants in big corporations</p>
<p>Notable athletes too</p>
<p>CEO's and exec's of Fortune 500 companies.</p>
<p>How do you become a ceo, I mean what education do you need? Btw doctors do so-so. Trust me on this one.</p>
<p>Yeah it depends on the type of doctor. Someone who does high-risk surgeries makes more than someone who just sees you when you're sick and hands you a bottle of medicine.</p>
<p>Becoming a CEO comes from working your way up the business ladder...which can take decades</p>
<p>Uhh, there are 4 lawyers on my block, 2 stockbrokers, some guy who started his own online company ..</p>
<p>but what education does one need? MBA?</p>
<p>Well, huge houses cost different $ everywhere. For example, in certain areas of Minneapolis, you get 5,000 FSF for $2,000,000. For the same price in California you probably get 2,500 FSF, or in Texas you probably get 10,000 FSF. So you can't really gauge how rich someone is by the size of their house -- you have to take location into consideration.</p>
<p>Lots of attorneys live in them,and lots of dermatologists for some reason. Now, I can probably guess why, but hardly any vets buy/build such structures. Maybe they're not trying to impress their clients/patients.</p>
<p>And remember, just because you life in such a home does not make you rich. There are issues on the scale of "a higher form of poverty" and especially with all the weird mortgages deals out there, chances are, their bankers own far more of their houses than the resident's do.</p>
<p>ex: an attorney friend built a very swanky home in a gated community near Richmond, VA. House cost well over $2 mil, pricey even for its proximity to Wash, DC. When he calculated the mortgaged amount, fees, etc. it cost him to build it, the day he moved in, he actually owned the second story doorknobs and plumbing hardware (faucets), the garage door opener, and the gutters. That's it.</p>
<p>Not me, but my girlfriends family.</p>
<p>Dad is a retired Navy pilot, then went into some sort of work at the Pentagon, now is a commercial pilot. Mom sells some sort of expensive cookware. They're VERY well off; paying two tuitions, huge golf course community house, more cars than people in the family, etc.</p>
<p>To answer the question about CEO's and education....I just wanted to point out that Kenneth Lay, the former CEO of Enron, got his bachelors and masters degree from the University of Missouri. That's proof that to be a wealthy and successful CEO, you don't have to go to an ivy league/top 20 school. :)</p>
<p>For a Real Estate Developer, do you need to go to business school and get an MBA? Which generally is better money wise? Stock Broker?</p>
<p>mmmm, i guess my family lives in a neighborhood like this...my dad has an MBA and his VP of supply chain management for a not-for-profit health system. my mom is a stay-at-home mom.</p>
<p>true on chocolatelover's post. you don't need to have a great college education. however its nice to have a M.A. for our generation a M.A. is needed to basically get a job since its going to be very competitive out there. </p>
<p>to become a CEO you basically has said have to climb up the business ladder. from entry level to executive level. my cousin went to cornell's hotel school and then after graduation he was a manager of a hotel in CA. he went up the ladder in 2 years and became an executive after hardwork. now he transferred to a hotel in MA and is an executive there getting alot of money.</p>
<p>but what about what I asked. Do you need to go to business school/get MBA to be a real estate developer.</p>
<p>A very famous athlete lives in the biggest house in my area. But, there are certain neighborhoods where I live that have ridiculously large houses. My friends and I drive through there to gawk at all the mansions and go on rants about conspicuous consumption.</p>