Paul Ollinger was one of Facebook’s first 250 employees. At age 42, he walked out with a pocket full of cash in what most would consider an ideal situation, but what he found instead left him wondering what’s next while he explored the relationship between money, happiness, work, and meaning.
In this episode, we discuss how wealth changes us, leaves us the same and why it even matters for the average middle class American as we explore the question.
This episode originally aired January 20, 2025.
If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 330: IS YOUR HAPPINESS BEING POLITICIZED [REMASTERED]?
Guest:
https://words.paulollinger.com/
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Sponsors:
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2:12 Walking away from silly money
4:17 Was it burnout or something deeper
5:44 Does ambition kill happiness
9:34 Why the top 1% work the longest hours
10:36 The Meritocracy Trap explained
16:26 The one question you get to answer
19:06 Everyone has a Facebook story
21:17 The Saturn SL2 and narcotic gratitude
24:37 Why it's hard to remember life is good
27:38 Still a grumpy fuck half the time
28:22 Why we count steps instead of love
29:26 Flow state and podcasting addiction
32:38 Vast wealth as an unnatural state
34:09 The 80% who can't cover a $1,000 bill
36:22 Does pursuing wealth also isolate you
39:44 Finding work you're curious about early
40:05 Mind time traveling to define happy
41:27 Six years of podcasting, honestly assessed
43:39 Final question: are you reasonably happy
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