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Pittsburg, Kansas | I inherrited some land and cash at around 55 years of age (as did my 4 surviving older siblings). Including the home place I live on.
And I very much appreciated it. But lucky for me I was already a well established farmer and about 50 years past needing any parental help other than dad driving a tractor once in a while in peak season 40 years ago. Would have been fine without it, but it was sure nice gravy on top.
There are individuals that inherit a pile and do very will with it. And there are ones that inherit a pile and piss it away. It is all on the individual what their capabilities are, managing a little or managing a lot.
The only completely self made farmer I ever knew (there may be lots of them, this is the only one I knew personally) was my first wife's dad. He started out with nothing and high school education. A stint in the army. Cut hedge posts and sold them till he saved enough money to buy a new Oliver 88 and started his farming career. His dad had abandoned his family when he was just a very young child. He grew up hard scrabblee. And was about the oneriest man I ever knew (and I was dumb enough to marry into the family). I had and still do have great respect for what he acomplished. His estate a few years ago was somewhere in the range of 7 to 15 million. He had sons that turned out to be successful farmers and kids that turned out to be what many would not call a societal blessing.
It all depends on the individual, no matter what or how much you are born into through inheritance. Some can do a lot starting out with a little. Some can do little even starting out with a lot. Ability, luck and timing (or some conbination thereof) can make or break a person. I have been fortunate to have had good parents, good luck, at least fair timing (I did survive the 80 by doing sideline work, with better timing coming later in life) and good fortune. I am thankful every day for my blessings. And one of my biggerst blessings and good fortune was marriage to my second wife and partner in both farming and life (married fourty some years). She made me a better person. I would not have experienced the success I have without her by my side.
Edited by John Burns 12/7/2025 21:59
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Rich people sure live a diffrent life than the rest of us .
