The Limits of Computation

So computational power has increased dramatically in the US over the last several decades. We still haven't "made it," though, as demonstrated by the CEO pay calculater over at Make Work Pay. You enter the amount you make, and then the calculator tells you how long it takes the average CEO to make that much. I started out with my actual projected salary, and it was a bit disappointing. I entered the most recent profits-per-partner at the firm I'm going to work at, and it was still disappointing.

Then I entered the profits-per-partner at Kirkland and Ellis, an elite law firm in Chicago. The most recent data I have put it at $1.9 million. To my chagrin, the average CEO apparently makes that amount in 2.79 seconds.

So I guess my response is, either our technology leaves a lot to be desired, or fuck it, I'm going to b-school. If I made $1.9 million in 2.79 seconds, I could work for a few minutes and have more than enough money for the rest of my life. I could work for a year (at 8 hours a day, 300 work days a year) and make $5,883,870,967,742. And that's the average CEO!