Why this Wall Street trader got mad about a $3.6 million bonus

For most people, getting a $3.6 million bonus would be a day to celebrate and high five a bunch of people. For Sam Polk, it made him mad. Why? Because it wasn’t enough.

“I wanted more money. I was addicted to getting more and more”- he said.

Polk rose on Wall Street during the go-go years of the new millennium. He climbed the ladder from summer intern at Credit Suisse to bond and credit-default-swap trader at Bank of America and then to the top rung of a behemoth hedge fund.

He was aggressive, sharp and wouldn’t quit. After a summer internship at Credit Suisse he didn’t receive an offer for the following year. So he hit the phones in desperation to find a new lead. He called and left a message for one managing director every day for three weeks before getting a call back, which eventually resulted in his first job.

During his second year on the Bank of America bond desk, he got his first big trading idea and bagged his first seven-figure profit He went on to reach higher highs all the way until he walked away from it all.

Now he is a writer and makes much less but he’s never been happier.
He also adds that he feels like he’s fulfilling his potential as a human being, using all aspects – his brain, heart, experience and spirit, to do work, he thinks, is really valuable and important.

He also published a book about his life, which gives readers something to think about: Whether you are on the side of courage or crazy, could you walk away from that kind of money?