Of course, my reactions were predictable. First off, the self-doubt. After all, He graduated the same time I did and is the same age as me. How come he is worth $180 million while I am penny-pinching to put my wife through school?
Next came the rationalization. Anand is more intelligent than I am. He was the best student in our graduating class while I couldn't even make it as the best student in my department. But even while I am making these arguments, I know they aren't true. The best students of previous years didn't land themselves into the gazillion department. And there are dolts who did.
Something else gives. He worked hard for three years for next-to-nothing, spurning pretty considerable salaries to work in his start-up company. He took a huge risk, was very motivated and it paid off. That is what I need to do, to grasp the opportunities that come my way and not be overly afraid of the risks.
