And you can't equate scientists and engineers and doctors and teachers to athletes/performers/entertainers. However, I do know more than a few scientists and engineers that took significant risks and reaped multi-10's of millions of dollars, and for doing little more than their peers. But they took the risk.
Totus, with all due respect, I've been asking myself since I was a kid, why did Babe Ruth, get paid more money to play ball, than the Nation's President, during his time.
I still don't get why Entertainers are paid more, than Surgeon's, Physicists, or Engineers, who have paved new crossroads into the Nation's improving Life for its people. I just don't get it, perhaps I never will........
I still have yet to meet any Engineer, other than Jack Northrop, who made multi-millions for using his brain. The CEO/President who replaced Jack, made $8 million in the year 2000, (his last year). Yes, that's alot of money. Yet, Jules Verne did all the math which NASA Engineers determined to be very accurate to land a man on the moon. Of course it takes more than One Engineer to screw a light bulb in. Yet, none of those folks lived to see a mil per year. Neither did Jules net what would been comparable to millions, way back then.
Sometimes I think personal accomplishment(s), may outweigh monetary gain. One is priceless, the other incurred cost revenues, or profit at peoples expense, with some return on their dollar. The other, costly too, but for their gain. There is a trade off here, what costs one, one gains from, in some cases. The Space Program was extremely costly, and its gains were/are endless accomplishments, feats, all mankind benefited from, and worth the risks. Yet, I've still to meet a millionaire Engineer, who improved the lives of all Mankind; versus a Millionaire Entertainer, who intrigues us, and gives us great memories, or fun, entertainment.
I think I never will get this one, and there is NO help for this old man, when it comes to comprehension how any entertainer makes our days better than a surgeon who saves our lives. I just don't get it.....guess I never will either, I would like to, but it seems a lesson in futility, for me anyway.
Again, with all due respect....enlighten me if you can. I do appreciate your take, and viewpoint, no doubt, please don't get me wrong. May be, I'm truly becoming a fossel dinosaur, age has a way of doing that, to us old fart's.