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Building a fortune from scratch

ralord82276 🚫

I would like some recommendations for long stories/books that has the MC building a fortune from scratch. Should be at least somewhat realistic not just one idea = instant fortune in an absurdly short time. Stories similar to the Robledo Mountain series by Kraken, Emend By Eclipse by Lazlo Zalezac, etc are what I am talking about. A slow building from nothing to immense fortune in a realistic way. Thanks for any recommendations.

hiltonls16 🚫

@ralord82276

The Millionaire Next Door by Lazlo Zalezac is probably also on your example list.

Replies:   ralord82276
ralord82276 🚫

@hiltonls16

yes it is.. Lazlo was an awesome writer.

Radagast 🚫

@ralord82276

https://storiesonline.net/s/68384/a-fresh-start

Replies:   ralord82276
ralord82276 🚫

@Radagast

Read it, thanks. :-)

Dinsdale 🚫

@ralord82276

There are quite a few stories where the MC inherited their wealth, sometimes from third parties. I take it that is not what you are looking for.

https://storiesonline.net/series/1604/country-roads by Lumpy is in progress, and apparently the MC is on his way to fame (which he has just achieved) and Fortune (still working on that).
https://storiesonline.net/s/68384/a-fresh-start (by rlfj) is a Do-Over but qualifies.
https://storiesonline.net/s/30059/doing-it-all-over (Al Steiner) - the same applies.
https://storiesonline.net/s/40992/the-fountain-of-youth (lazlong) - the same applies, has a sequel.

https://storiesonline.net/s/56290/path-to-glory (Brendan Buckley) is the story of a Quarterback who gets to the NFL.

Jay Cantrell has a couple of stories which fail your "one idea" stipulation, https://storiesonline.net/s/73779/a-flawed-diamond (a baseball player who previously won a massive lawsuit) and https://storiesonline.net/s/65463/daze-in-the-valley (he and his friends sold an invention for a very large sum).

Replies:   ralord82276
ralord82276 🚫

@Dinsdale

A Fresh Start and Doing It All Over are both stories I have already read, but have added the others to my reading list. Thanks! :-)

akarge 🚫
Updated:

@ralord82276

An old dead tree novel, by Cordwainer Smith. "NORSTRILLIA". IIRC, the MC gains access to an old (and somewhat illegal) military computer and uses it to play the commodities market. Becomes massively wealthy.

Obvious expansion of that idea is using a computer, or a new program, or MC is a statistical genius, magic,etc. Stock market, commodities market, money markets. Bets on sports.

Another old story is probably more along your line. "The Cosmic Computer" by James Schmitz. A poor community on a frontier world scrapes up enough cash to send MC to Earth to research the location of a supposed abandoned sector HQ that they believe to be on their world. It was supposedly built for the final campaign during the past interstellar war. Then, the war went a different direction.

Mc doesn't find that info, but develops a plan to bootstrap the economy. However, since everyone is expecting the base, he has to deceive them, while still getting their cooperation.

Replies:   ralord82276
ralord82276 🚫

@akarge

hmm.. interesting.. will try to locate those. Both sound like interesting reads. Thanks!

akarge 🚫

@ralord82276

I also remember the old Clint Eastwood movie,"The Gauntlet". He is trying to get a witness to trial with the entire LAPD trying to stop him. They (Eastwood and Sandra Locke, the witness) place a bet with Las Vegas bookies. If they die, they lose. If they make it to the trial, they win, at something like 100 to 1.

Radagast 🚫

@ralord82276

https://storiesonline.net/a/gruinard
One very long story broken over 25 books. Kid survived cancer and starts a business networking computers in the Z80 CPU days.
By the time he graduates from uni he is independently wealthy.

Replies:   AmigaClone  ralord82276
AmigaClone 🚫

@Radagast

https://storiesonline.net/a/gruinard
One very long story broken over 25 books. Kid survived cancer and starts a business networking computers in the Z80 CPU days.
By the time he graduates from uni he is independently wealthy.

I would say the MC is independently wealthy before he goes to college.

ralord82276 🚫

@Radagast

lol...actually just finished that series. Was very good and did fit my requirements. :-)

Radagast 🚫

@ralord82276

Smokin' driver's 17th Birthday is about a teenager who finds His niche as a salesman. His Hindsight 20/20 series is a do-over that goes from child to business mogul.
https://storiesonline.net/a/SmokinDriver

Replies:   ralord82276
ralord82276 🚫

@Radagast

Yeah, SmokinDriver's stories are good reads... Detailed, borderline realistic scenarios, and good slice-of-life progression.

awnlee jawking 🚫

@ralord82276

If you don't mind fantasy settings, FantasyLover has plenty for your consideration.

AJ

Replies:   ralord82276
ralord82276 🚫

@awnlee jawking

FantasyLover is a fav author of mine on SOL. :-)

Grey Wolf 🚫

@ralord82276

My own 'Variation on a Theme' (https://storiesonline.net/series/1583/variation-on-a-theme) counts. It's a do-over, and the wealth creation is slow, deliberate, and very much ongoing, with 'moderate wealth' (in the 1-2 million range) currently (over a roughly 5-year time period), but much larger wealth on the horizon (in a variety of ways). Definitely more than one idea, and the number of ideas are increasing, I would say. Later (as yet unpublished) parts of the current book will add to wealth creation, and it'll be an obvious ongoing theme since some long-term plans started in early books have likely completion dates in the not-too-distant future.

It would be reasonable to include G Younger's 'Stupid Boy' (and 'Better Man') series. The protagonist is definitely quite well off in later stories. https://storiesonline.net/series/1080/stupid-boy

Crumbly Writer 🚫

@Grey Wolf

Most Do-Over stories have a certain element of wealth accumulationβ€”typically from betting on their knowledge of future events, however the degree of wealth tends to vary widely from on story to another.

However, for many, incredible wealth is yet another 'Mary Sue', wish fulfillment element, which often takes away from the story, especially if it occurs too rapidly. As many of us prefer the protagonist struggling to succeed (overcoming adversity, rather than coasting through life).

Again, the question of usually, how fast is too fast, as decent stories are given a bigger 'creative license' than others.

ralord82276 🚫

@Grey Wolf

I agree that your VoaT fits the requirements I laid out... Unfortunately you still havent finished it. I read the 1st 4 books, thinking that it was just a High School period story for the coming of age transition in a Do-Over scenario... then I got to the end of the 4th book just as you announced and started the 5th book continuing the story into their college years... ARGH!!!...lol.. I read WAAAAAAAY too fast to try and read ongoing serials. I would be driven nuts waiting on new chapter releases, lol. So unfortunately will be holding off on reading the rest until the story concludes. But I am looking forward to that! :-)

Replies:   Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf 🚫

@ralord82276

It's going to be a long time before it concludes - just warning you! After college, we'll get to post-college, and so forth.

I certainly understand not reading it as a serial, though. It helps me that some readers want to, because I wind up with additional feedback, but I generally can't follow serials either.

steve6134 🚫

@ralord82276

The Richard Jackson Saga .17 books, starts as high school freshman by book 17 he is the richest man in the world.
I have the collection go back for a re read from time to time. He doesnt win any lotteries .But there is some luck involved,

Replies:   ralord82276
ralord82276 🚫

@steve6134

started the RJ series by reading the starter the author has here on SOL (think it is the first 3 books) and while it definitely doesnt fall very far into the realistic category, it was very enjoyable. Unfortunately, by the time I was aware of the existence of the books, they had been removed from SOL (with exception of the starter) and are now being sold for anywhere from $15 to $25 EACH on the big river...umm...no... cant afford that. So I ended up not being able to continue reading the story past the 3rd book.

samuelmichaels 🚫

@ralord82276

A New Past (a common theme in do-overs) by Charlie Foxtrot.
"Living Next Door to Heaven" by Aroslav.
"Dark Days" by Reluctant_Sir.
"Vacation" series and most of the Florid Friends universe by Dual Writer.
"Kenny the Kansan" by Openbook.
Ernest Bywater has several, generally a boy/adolescent becomes a successful man.

Replies:   ralord82276
ralord82276 🚫

@samuelmichaels

A New Past is on my constant read over list. :-)

Will add the others to my reading list to check them out. Thanks!

itsmehonest 🚫

@ralord82276

Stupid Boy/Better Man By G. Younger

The Outsider 🚫
Updated:

@ralord82276

At the risk of tooting my own horn, my story https://storiesonline.net/s/30692/a-charmed-life-by-the-outsider/i has the MC using a court judgment in his favor to invest in a company building a home fusion device. He winds up owning about 1/5 of the company, which funds things he wants to do later...

Replies:   LonelyDad
LonelyDad 🚫

@The Outsider

Andthe associated thread about his Daughter Sabrina is turning into a good story as well!

Replies:   The Outsider
The Outsider 🚫

@LonelyDad

Kind of you to say that, thank you. And thanks to everyone else who has taken the time to write to me!

Michael Loucks 🚫

@ralord82276

My Climbing the Ladder series is a rags-to-riches storyline.

Replies:   sunseeker
sunseeker 🚫
Updated:

@Michael Loucks

My Climbing the Ladder series is a rags-to-riches storyline.

Awesome series and waiting impatiently for the next book! :D

SunSeeker

madnige 🚫

@ralord82276

Took me a while to realise it fits as the MC is female, but Wes Boyd's Magic Carpet meets the stated criteria (not here, try his spearfishlaketales site) - starts destitute and grows to multimillionaire national hero. Another female MC but here is aroslav's Not this time, a do-over - also starts destitute and grows to at least comfortably rich (it's a while since I've read it)

solreader50 🚫

@ralord82276

I would like some recommendations for long stories/books that has the MC building a fortune from scratch.

I think almost all do-over stories would meet your desire. As the no-longer naiive and hapless MC uses his done-over-ness to invest in Microsoft, Google, Amazon, whatever as soon as the stocks hit the market. Not to mention getting gramps to put $100 of saved pocket money on the unexpected winner of the Superbowl/WorldSeries/Stanley Cup - you name it.

Radagast 🚫

@ralord82276

RLFJ has a PG13 version of A Fresh Start on Bookapy. The original on SOL will be deleted along with most classic do-over stories due to under 18 sexual content.

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