Originally Posted by RFremont

It also depends on how you define net assets. Forbes, if I recall correctly, values net assets by investable assets which are cash, stocks/bonds and anything that can be liquidated for it's face value... I remember thinking it was odd that property wasn't included in that because land historically retains value. In one ranking, they didn't count any PRIMARY residence as a property asset.

There are many different variables on how to valuate assets; what about cash, jewelry, paintings/art? Those could be sold off for a part of what they were bought for, in case of paintings/art the full amount, if not more. Does one count a company as an asset? Publically traded companies are valued at 7-10 yearly NET earnings. How does taxes factor into that?

I often read those forbes reports on 'wealthy' celebrities... for example Fagne West net worth 100mn, and how is that evaluated? Reports claimed he generated 20mn a year in concerts/music income... how much of that is net after overhead, taxes, manager, agent, lawyer, etc? What did the douche net in his bank account after that year? Mayweather got 40mn for a fight... fair enough, what was his net? You hear stories about Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson 'generated more than 300mn' in their careers, now broke... how much of that 300mn did they actually net... that is before they blew it on bad investments, spending sprees, child support, hanger-ons, baby mommas, lawsuits? I refuse to believe that at any given time Tyson or Holyfield had even say 80 million cash sitting in a bank account because you simply cannot blow through ALL of that kind of money. Even after losing the first 10mn-20mn on whatever, the morons would still have 60mn laying around... and now a decade later they are broke?? it just doesn't add up.

Bottom line is every motherfucker exxagerrates; I remember reading about some Arab that sued Forbes because he claimed they were undervaluing his net worth in the Forbes 500).

Only one thing I can say when people throw bullshit numbers around... it's not what you make. It's what you keep. And as for 'net worth', it's just very arbitrary.