"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income." -Ecclesiastes 5:10

"Plentitude is American culture's perverse burden. Most Americans have everything they could possibly want, and they still don't think it's nearly enough." -Kalle Lasn

Granted, that's not the original meaning of the American Dream, but to many folks it has become a pursuit of more and more stuff.

The same goes for all of the people so upset about Steve Jobs and his health. There are millions and millions of people dying of cancer, and nobody cares about them because they're too materialistic and just focus on the guy that gives them shiny gadgets. Unfortunately our society is determined on wealth and power, which is why you have paparazzi following celebrities all day and not caring about the men and women that are risking their lives to save others. It's just how this culture is, and it's something I'm angry about on a day to day basis.

Who let the pseudo-intellectuals in?

I don't know about Merckle's health so I can't comment on that, but even if he had a justifiable reason for killing himself, he still threw himself in front of a train.

If there was one single person on that train, that's unforgivable.

@nsv:

I totally agree. It positively wrecks everyone left behind.

However: In my own reality, I give a pass to people with terminal or progressive diseases. A friend's grandfather was an elderly, scholarly type who was facing Parkinson's. He settled his affairs, said his goodbyes, gave his rationale and euthanized himself. My friend said her family was sad, but they had been prepared for his death, and understood completely. There was no grief-stricken asking "why". They understood. As far as suicide goes, I think what he did was rather admirable and in the long run, kind.

Don't kid yourself. To the extent that you live a comfortable life means that there wealth that can be extracted from you. That you live well is an "unfortunate" consequence of progressive reforms that occurred a long time ago in this country. NAFTA is functioning well to undermine all of that.

Yan, you aren't going to break through. GitEmSteve is some Free Republic troll who counters any comment critical of unrestrained capitalism.

He's been banging me because I keep reminding people during the Daily Deals that Buy.Com is a huge scam.

Give up on him.

...but it can buy you a ride on a really neat train!

kidding. condolences, but since this man's life apparently had little meaning beyond business.

@kthxbai: Oh, no; don't tell me. That little kid who didn't get his birthday cake, too?

He's worthless scum, can't feel pity for him. He's got more money than everyone who has posted here, x2! Yes a hard life money brings not having to worry about anything except what has brought you this worry free life - the money itself.

I'd be happy with .00001% of that money and live peacefully for years, he lost what...under 1%?

@Diet-Orange-Soda: If it involves enough pills, it's likely painless as well.

@CES.GitEmSteveDave: i dont think you understand my argument at all.

let me reiterate: there comes a point when a persons wealth is so astounding, that it comes at the expense of people living in absolute poverty in third world countries.

you can't tell me that people working in these countries for pennies have a mutual benefit with their employer. most of these people lead lives unimaginable to people who have shares of stocks. and these people make up the majority of workers in the world. and the reason that most people in the world live like that is because adolf merckle lived the way he did.

i have no idea how this argument string got so off hand, but thats my point. and i do agree with you that many people have mutual benefits with their employeers, like you and i who live comfortable lives, but we are a tiny minority in the world.

side note:
people seem to think that people who have wealth earned their wealth. the truth is that people who have wealth, have power and people with power control wealth.

ALL HAIL THE NEW 94TH RICHEST MAN!

It's really not that complicated. You made a rather simplistic comment: "Actually, the only thing that overcomes self preservation is greed." A meager attempt at profundity. Problem with it is that it isn't true.

Then I gave examples.

Then you replied with your already open mouth with, "huh?!"

So you got stock options? So what. That has nothing to do with his point. This man had billions from pharaceuticals. If I find one story of a German who died without the proper medication, will you shut up?

Christ, that presupposes a whole lot. So, all competitors will eventually consolidate into one?

I think that is pretty facile.

@ds0: You're right and I have no fucking idea what the german dream is, shnitzle?

most people in the world who are employed have no mutual benefit with their employer. they work so they can scrape enough mutton to eat to survive a day longer. they also have no means of anything better.
@Yan Grinshteyn: That is making some pretty broad sweeping comments that are IMHO, wrong.

Unbelievable: beyond belief or understanding
Excessive:beyond normal limits.
According to to you, living in a modest home and driving a mid size sedan is OK, until you have a certain amount of money. At that point, those things instantly transform into something that most people could never posses or even comprehend possessing it.

When I worked for MBNA, I, along with every other employee of the bank, earned a "incentive" when the company did well. Anyone who owns some of their companies stocks also shares a mutual benefit with their employer.

@Secret Agent Man: Yeah, but what would Bill Gates do if he woke up one day and only had Oprah's money?

@nsv: cant we all just get along?

(Was he a pirate, too?)

@IrvCrapper: So he should keep hold on to his holdings until the competitor can undercut him to a point where he has to fire everybody.

Got it.

most people in the world who are employed have no mutual benefit with their employer. they work so they can scrape enough mutton to eat to survive a day longer. they also have no means of anything better.

to assume that a person can avast this mind boggling amount of wealth without cheating thousands of people out of basic necessities is complete ignorance.

but thats not my main point. my main point is that he's some rich guy. he doesnt care about anything other than his immediate wealth and he's lived a life of complete luxury without thinking of the consequences that causes for other people.

but nevermind, i take it back. its such a shame that this one guy died.

Someone trying to make a living was operating that train.

When you're dealing with large trains and high speeds, there is no way to stop in time. It is likely that this engineer had to watch as he was unable to keep his train from hitting this guy. Even if he didn't see it, he still has to live with the knowledge.

Suicide is a damn selfish thing to do. Doubly so if you involve someone else in it.

Tell that to Christ, Ghandi, and MLK.

He had to cover them with TOWELS!

Isn't it a shame?

Yeah, right. He killed himself out of some anachronistic Japanese face-loss ethic.

Huh?

We don't know why he killed himself, but if he cared about people losing their jobs he wouldn't have consolidated his concrete holdings with his competitor. Ordinarily, that puts many working class people out of work.

God! So many of you are apologists for these corporate bastards. It's too much.

And I don't need to provide a bibliography to establish that the raw materials for pharmaceuticals and concrete pollute the environment. Sorry.

I'm shedding no tears for poor old Mr. Merckle. Whaaaa! I'm worth $9+ billion, and I lost $500,000 million.

@GuinevereRucker: The american dream has nothing to do with materialism despite your not so slightly veiled attempt at perverting it.

The American Dream is the dream of opportunity (not to be confused with the bank of opportunity, please). The dream that with hard work and ambition you can acheive anything. The american dream is that you can be that doctor and save lives, not the cars and the houses.

Furthermore, the things you buy represent the hard work you've done, if you do something you hate then the money and the things you buy with it will only serve as a reminder of that which you despise.

/Ayn Rand

@Paul Dmytrewycz: I'm really trying to understand your statement but I cant and for that I'm sorry.

@Yan Grinshteyn: Exploiting workers and consumers. To employ someone is to have a mutual benefit, one does not employ out of sympathy nor do they work to someone else's benefit. Money is involved yes, but money is the the way that we do trade and show value to one another.

Consumers purchase the best product that their money can buy, if you can offer a better product at a cheaper price then do so.

You my friend, are lacking touch with reality. Excess would only be if he lived in excess of his means, if he was a fool with his money that is/was his decision. Would your rather have taken his wealth away and diveded amongst others who would have no doubt been just as or more foolishly, having no pride in it?

"...he even made his way to being the 94th richest man in the world, but in the end, he could never come to terms or even bare with having the first name 'Adolf'. Not too long after ringing in 2009 Mr. Merckle, decided to take his own life. Little did he realize the irony in the fact that he wouldnt be the most famous 'Adolf' to commit suicide but alas that is life...errr...death..."

@i.GitEmSteveDave: inheritance is an excuse? and what kind of examples could you possibly need of excessive lifestyle? the guy was worth billions of dollars. whether he drives a scooter or a mercedez, he lives in unbelievable excess.

There's only one foundation that is secure enough to build a meaningful life on.

I'm a terrible person, but who cares? It's just some rich guy who became rich by exploiting workers and consumers. His greed, consumtion of wealth and excessive lifestyle have indirectly killed many more people.

I read this in the Wall Street Journal yesterday, and while i haven't read too much more into it, that was my initial reaction.

One thing to consider is the shame that he may have felt. Once you start brushing elbows with the 'upper-crust' of society, life becomes about stroking your own ego and proving that you are the king of the world. Having known more than a few of these types, he was probably ashamed at only being the 94th richest person in the world.

Realistically he could have lost 99% of his wealth and still be left with 94 million dollars.

I think you guys are looking at this wrong. I don't think he had a problem living poor. His VW GOLF was found nearby.

There are some people in the world who have some shred of honor and feel shame for costing others their jobs and savings.

That is a terrible, unspeakable shame that no man should have to live with. 96th.

I just hope his family kept the receipts for the gifts they bought for him for Christmas.

Too bad he couldn't deal with the thought of doing the same thing that billions of people are doing every day: being poor.

And people wonder why class warfare exists...

So now we have 2 adolfs that killed themselves.... to soon?

At least this one left a note.

The Villehuchet thing still makes me wonder if it really was a suicide.

And speaking of people who SHOULD have committed suicide, I walked by Bernie Madoff's place theother day and it was SWARMING with media, just waiting for him to poke his nose out. Made me laugh.

What is the worst thing that would have happened if he had lived?

There are people who have NOTHING. NOTHING. NOTHING. Living in abject poverty, with no chance of ever getting even moderately wealthy. Living in war-torn countries, starving, seeing horrible things every day. But they don't kill themselves.

I just don't get it.

How awful for his family. Somebody had to go claim that body.

This guy was the owner of my company, Heidelberg Cement. Pretty screwed up. Should've just sold the company to someone else if he was that strapped for cash. Hopefully this won't affect us here in the USA.

Someone should have told him that finacially related suicide is SO 2008:

"Two days before Christmas, in New York, Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet was found dead at his desk, wrists slashed and a bottle of pills nearby, after he lost $US1.4 billion invested with Bernard Madoff. And in September, Kirk Stephenson, 47, the chief operating officer of private equity house Olivant, jumped in front of a train west of London and was killed."

Sad that it came to that, but what a way to go out!