Classic example of golden handcuffs. I think who’s really getting screwed here is the middle class, again.
The big variable in your cost calculation is the opportunity cost of lost wages. Early in your career it costs you little to get together with your friends and plan a heist for a year. If you find creative hacks to bring down the cost of equipment you might as well give it a try.
Similarly, the ultra rich just don’t have to worry about the opportunity cost at all.
But if you’re comfortably settled in your upper-middle-class corporate job, you simply have too much to lose. Even just watching Oceans Eleven costs you like $1000 in opportunity costs, and if you have to send 4 kids to private school in Connecticut, that’s not something you can afford.
This doesn’t fit with your excellent essay, but true story: Last year a good friend of mine (malpractice lawyer) was constantly pressured by his wife and social circles to keep up the lifestyle. Eventually he just couldn’t take it but wouldn’t talk to his wife or anyone about it. Got a gun, walked into a bank, walked out with maybe 10k, got arrested on the drive back home. He’s in jail for around 3 years, but doesn’t have to deal with the previous pressures. His wife is from a rich family so she’s ok. You’ve heard of “suicide by cop”. I call this “freedom by prison”.
I think bank robberies went down drastically when they stopped publicizing how much was stolen. They had previously spiked when a large chunk was grabbed and announced in the news. At that time there were gangs using younger men, even kids really to do the actual work for a small cut. I really wish I could remember where I got these details, a podcast possibly.
Crime generally doesn't really pay. Think about how many times you could get $15K out of a bank vs the number of months you would have to work to get the same? An auto mechanic might make $$5 a month but he can do that month after month for 30 years. Hard work but he can attain some level of wealth. A bank robber that pulls of 1 every 3 months is going to have a short career. I think you could find the same for most blue collar criminals so it's not really the desire to build wealth, maybe it's the desire to avoid work?
With modern security, crime no longer pays. Your best case scenario is one massive heist you can retire off of, but with inflation and lifestyle creep, it's unlikely you can pull off just one job and ride off into the sunset. You will likely keep doing more jobs until you eventually get caught.
It is simply not financially prudent to rob banks.
With our course “Breaking into Casinos for Dummy’s” we can guarantee you’ll soon be hitting the Mega Heists within 6 months of graduating or your money back!*
*refunds only applicable for non-incarcerated alumni
Classic example of golden handcuffs. I think who’s really getting screwed here is the middle class, again.
The big variable in your cost calculation is the opportunity cost of lost wages. Early in your career it costs you little to get together with your friends and plan a heist for a year. If you find creative hacks to bring down the cost of equipment you might as well give it a try.
Similarly, the ultra rich just don’t have to worry about the opportunity cost at all.
But if you’re comfortably settled in your upper-middle-class corporate job, you simply have too much to lose. Even just watching Oceans Eleven costs you like $1000 in opportunity costs, and if you have to send 4 kids to private school in Connecticut, that’s not something you can afford.
Thank you @Torsten Walbaum I’m glad at least somebody clued into that.
Gone are the days when you can just walk in with a couple of weapons for a simple smash and grab job.
All this elaborate planning and training make it impossible for people with a steady income to dedicate the time needed for such an endeavor
This comfort and security are a prison of its own.
Tyler Durden said it best: “The Things you own, end up owning you.”
This is why the ultra rich need to do drastic things, just to feel something!
This doesn’t fit with your excellent essay, but true story: Last year a good friend of mine (malpractice lawyer) was constantly pressured by his wife and social circles to keep up the lifestyle. Eventually he just couldn’t take it but wouldn’t talk to his wife or anyone about it. Got a gun, walked into a bank, walked out with maybe 10k, got arrested on the drive back home. He’s in jail for around 3 years, but doesn’t have to deal with the previous pressures. His wife is from a rich family so she’s ok. You’ve heard of “suicide by cop”. I call this “freedom by prison”.
I’m not saying I agree with it but I know several people who would likely have done the same.
He messed up though, if he did a bigger heist he could have ended up in one of those nicer prisons with Diddy and Sam Bankman-Fried!
Appreciate you taking the time to read and comment
I think bank robberies went down drastically when they stopped publicizing how much was stolen. They had previously spiked when a large chunk was grabbed and announced in the news. At that time there were gangs using younger men, even kids really to do the actual work for a small cut. I really wish I could remember where I got these details, a podcast possibly.
Crime generally doesn't really pay. Think about how many times you could get $15K out of a bank vs the number of months you would have to work to get the same? An auto mechanic might make $$5 a month but he can do that month after month for 30 years. Hard work but he can attain some level of wealth. A bank robber that pulls of 1 every 3 months is going to have a short career. I think you could find the same for most blue collar criminals so it's not really the desire to build wealth, maybe it's the desire to avoid work?
Very astute observation @chris Fehr
With modern security, crime no longer pays. Your best case scenario is one massive heist you can retire off of, but with inflation and lifestyle creep, it's unlikely you can pull off just one job and ride off into the sunset. You will likely keep doing more jobs until you eventually get caught.
It is simply not financially prudent to rob banks.
There's poetry in motion.,👏
Thank you thank you! Glad you liked it!!
Wonderful piece! Thank you!
I'm glad you liked it Paul!
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Thanks for the mention Ben! 👏
Of course, you make great stuff. A bit more serious than articles like this.
But yours made me laugh, keep up the great work!
Thank you for the kind words! Glad you liked it.
Articles like these have enlightened me on the heist bracket concept. We refocused our crew strategy and found our niche in the 2-6m jobs.
Keeping up with professionals like you has raised my crews payouts per stint by nearly 20% this year which is a huge improvement for the families.
With our course “Breaking into Casinos for Dummy’s” we can guarantee you’ll soon be hitting the Mega Heists within 6 months of graduating or your money back!*
*refunds only applicable for non-incarcerated alumni
Oceans Eleven doesn't make the cut;
Heat
Thief
The Town
Those are fighting words young man!