Go-Away Money

*** I replaced F-You Money with Go-Away (G-A) Money to make my blog a family-friendly place.

I stumbled upon the concept of G-A Money accidentally in the movie, The Gambler, starring Mark Wahlberg and John Goodman. Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) was a literature professor and a gambler who doesn't know when to stop and whose debt causes him to borrow money from the loan shark, Frank (John Goodman). I was kinda blown away by the simple and profane explanation of the position of Go-Away money by Frank. Here's the transcript:

Frank: I need to know if you got the *peep* brains to walk when it's time to walk. People don't, you know. Ballplayers who can't play anymore. *Idiots* trying to maintain a standard of living not possible anymore... A lot of those around. I've seen you be half a million dollars up.

Jim Bennett: I’ve been up two and a half million dollars.
 
Frank: What do you got on you?
 
Jim Bennett: Nothing.
 
Frank: What did you put away?
 
Jim Bennett: Nothing.
 
Frank: You get up two and a half million dollars, any *idiot* in the world knows what to do. You get a house with a 25-year roof, an indestructible Jap economy shitbox, you put the rest into the system at three to five percent to pay your taxes and that’s your base, get me? That’s your fortress of *peep* solitude. That puts you, for the rest of your life, at a level of "Go-Away". Somebody wants you to do something, go away. Boss pisses you off, go away! Own your house. Have a couple bucks in the bank. Don’t drink. That’s all I have to say to anybody on any social level. Did your grandfather take risks?
 
Jim Bennett: Yes.
 
Frank: I guarantee he did it from a position of go-away. A wise man’s life is based around go-away. The United States of America is based on go-away. You're a king? You have an army? Greatest navy in the history of mankind? Go away, blow me. We’ll *mess* it up ourselves. Which we have done. Beautiful "go-away" position lost forever.

Of course, it's not the first time G-A money is ever discussed. Time magazine has an article on this in 2016. Heck, if you googled G-A money (the uncensored version), you get more than 200m hits! Basically, G-A money is the amount of money you need to not be compelled by anyone to do anything you don't like. It's having the freedom to choose what you want without being constrained by money. Whether you want to do this job or that or retire or follow your passion, instead of the money.

Growing up, I always knew I want to be in such control that any problem that can be solved by money is not a problem. I just didn't know there's already a phrase for it, which is G-A money. And ironically, when I watched Frank deliver his vulgar yet seemingly logical philosophy, I knew that's a position that I had already achieved. Having accumulated a decent amount of wealth from my years in the hedge funds industry, I was cautiously confident of not working ever again and maintaining the current level of living standards for my wife and two young kids. At the same time, my job wasn't giving me great satisfaction or happiness, so I was thinking about quitting, but I wasn't sure how my wife would take it.

And this is what she told me.

If you're not happy, just go. Not worth it. We can and will afford. Don't worry.

You're more important to me and the kids than any amount of money.

Yea I think we have G-A money. Lol

And that's how it all ended... or began?