How can someone so successful be so naïve? The statement, "impossible to earn a billion dollars," is not meant to be taken literally.
It is used to underscore the fact that founders (and early investors) are paid ridiculously disproportionately to their employees. There is no labor that a single person can do (without the help of their employees, family, friends, network) that justifies earning $1B.
It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his net worth demands he not understand it.
Original quote: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." - Upton Sinclair
He is just being willfully obtuse to make a point. This has to be one of his weaker essays. He is trying to "gotcha" AOC by talking math instead of debating the larger point. The kind of thing he has himself argued against in the past.
Good luck someone trying to gotcha AOC, I look forward to hearing her reply, with great relish.
It's crazy to me that someone as distinguished as PG, as well as so many of the comments here on HN, completely missed this point.
I like that you said that it’s not meant to be taken literally and then explained how it is literally true
Billionaire founders make some millionaire employees. Why are they (or rather us?) entitled to more? They are working market jobs for market pay.