BarkBox CEO apologizes after leaked memo exposes plan to axe ‘politically charged' Pride marketing

BarkBox CEO Matt Meeker apologized after a leaked message from a staffer on Reddit exposed the company's plans to axe marketing for its Pride campaign out of fear it would 'feel more like a political statement.'
The subscription service delivers dog toys and treats to customers' door fronts monthly, and has been selling Pride-themed products as optional add-ons for the past four years.
'While celebrating Pride is something we may value, we need to acknowledge that the current climate makes this promotion feel more like a political statement than a universally joyful moment for all dog people,' a staffer said in the leaked message.
4 BarkBox sells dog toys and treats in a monthly subscription service.
Sergi Alexander
The employee argued that if BarkBox wasn't comfortable promoting 'another politically charged symbol (like a MAGA-themed product), it's worth asking whether this is the right moment to run this particular campaign.'
Meeker, who co-founded the $236 million company in 2011, on Wednesday confirmed the leaked message was from a BarkBox employee and issued an apology on the company's Instagram account.
'The message was disrespectful and hurtful to the LGBTQIA+ community, and as the CEO of BARK, I'm responsible for that,' Meeker wrote.
'I do not agree with the content of the message. It wasn't good, it doesn't reflect our values, and I'm deeply sorry that it happened.'
He said BarkBox is still selling Pride-themed dog products on its site, though he did not comment on whether the company killed its marketing push for the collection.
BarkBox did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether the marketing campaign was canceled.
4 BarkBox CEO Matt Meeker apologized on Wednesday over the leaked message.
REUTERS
The company donates a portion of the profits from the collection to an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit each year, Meeker said. It will up that commitment to 100% of the revenue this year, he added.
His apology followed swift backlash online from customers and former employees who slammed the message as offensive and hurtful.
'So @barkbox compared being LBGTQ+ to being MAGA, so if you give a f— about queer people, cancel your subscription today!' one user wrote in a post on X.
4 A leaked BarkBox employee message that circulated on Reddit.
Reddit
Another wrote: 'My former employer paused all marketing on Pride toys and cancelled donating the proceeds to a great org because… *checks notes* … a single bigot doesn't understand how BarkBox works? You literally have to CHOOSE and PAY MORE for the Pride toys.'
BarkBox is just the latest company entrenched in a scandal over its marketing of Pride products.
Mass boycotts against Target for a Pride collection that included kid's clothing and Bud Light for partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney hurt the company's bottom lines.
Pride events taking place this month have seen some major sponsors retreat as they fear retribution from customers and the Trump administration, which has been targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
4 A BarkBox subscription box filled with movie-themed dog toys and treats.
BarkBox
Longtime sponsors of New York City's Pride March, including Mastercard, Citi, PepsiCo and Nissan, this year chose not to renew the funding.
'This isn't about backing away from support – it's about tone and ensuring our marketing remains inclusive and welcoming to everyone in our community,' the leaked BarkBox message said.
'Right now, pushing this promo risks unintentionally sending the message that 'we're not for you' to a large portion of our audience.'

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2 hours ago

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31 Spoiled, Entitled, Out-Of-Touch People Who Are Surely Too Clueless To Survive A Day Outside Of First-Class

If you've ever had to take the deepest breath in the world because you just heard something almost too privileged to be real, you're in the right place. Recently, people on Reddit shared the most out-of-touch thing they've witnessed a rich person say or do, and I had to lie down for a while after reading through it. Here are some of the top comments: 1."My friend's sister, who is attending medical school, said, 'Did you know some people's parents don't pay for their school?'" —mercfan3 2."'I wish my kids qualified for financial aid.' She thinks financial aid is a benefit everyone else gets that she's losing out on. Said by a woman brought up in an upper-middle-class family and married into another one. I don't know too many 25-year-olds with zero college debt, whose first house is a 4-bed single-family home and immediately put in an inground salt water pool, had two kids, then finished their basement with all the fixings." "No. No, you do not want your kids to actually qualify for financial aid. Give up your giant house, pool, and regularly occurring vacations first. Oh, and you don't HAVE to pay your kids' full college tuition for their D1 schools, but you can easily afford to without eliminating any other discretionary cost in your life This couple easily makes $350k, the husband is a partner." —drunkpickle726 3."'Why don't you just buy a house? This apartment is awfully small for the four of you.' I loved the person who said this very much; he was like family, but my ex and I couldn't believe our ears when he said that. We both wanted to answer in a tone absolutely dripping with sarcasm, 'Gee, we never thought of that! We'll have to go shopping tomorrow. Would you like to write the check for the down payment since it's such a great idea and we don't have any money?'" —Kind_Blackberry3911 "Man, one of the engineers at my office bought a house and then was nonstop pressuring me about when I was going to stop renting. Never mind that I'm an admin assistant, so I make a fraction of what he does. I was finally like, 'When you get our boss to give me a raise to match your salary, I guess?' That finally seemed to shut him up, but Jesus Christ, it was so tone deaf." —ScroochDown 4."Girl I knew in high school was whining about how her parents cancelled their annual ski trip to Switzerland, and they had to settle for Jackson Hole instead. Poor girl, times were tough." —HorrorSmile3088 5."'It's so easy to travel. Just save $100-300 every paycheck. I don't know why people can't do that.' This was right after college when I started paying back my loans while only making $18/hr. I told her, 'Lady, I'm lucky if I have $20 left over.' She looked shocked." —Appropriate_Sky_6571 "Similarly, when people say you should spend your 20s traveling, seeing the world, and getting cultured before settling down. You think I don't want to?? That's expensive, plus, how am I supposed to get that many days off work??" —VanillaMemeIceCream 6."My wife does work for high-profile clients. Often, you'll see a $20,000+ food order barely touched and, due to liability concerns, thrown away. I wish this was sarcasm." —ElonsMuskyFeet "I am a notorious post-event crasher because of this, complete with Tupperware. Walked into a work event after it was over, and the crew was shoveling the food down; one looked at me, nodded, and pointed to the buffet. 'Take the whole tray,' they literally begged, 'cuz otherwise it goes right in the trash." —DopeCharma 7."Someone told me they thought poor people just 'don't try hard enough' and that 'everyone has the same 24 hours.' It was wild how confidently they said it, like generational wealth, health, and safety weren't even factors." —fatherballoons "And just the damn randomness of life, I hate the 'don't try hard enough.' You could work 16 hours a day and give it all, and things just don't work out. Yet the guy who won a gamble will tell you how hard he worked and why everyone is able to achieve the same he did. Survivorship bias is a hell of a drug." —sinjuice 8."My ex once said before a date, 'I won't wear my Rolex so you don't feel poor.'" —leahlo 9."'I don't get why poor people don't just budget better.' Ah, yes, the CEO of life, right here." —Any_Lingonberry_3948 "I know folks who grew up poor, fell into a good-paying job (at least in relation to their upbringing), and adopted this mindset. I'm always like, 'How do you not remember where you came from?' Good budgeting when you are poor is hard as hell. I grew up fairly poor but do okay now, nothing to brag about, but I enjoy luxuries and a comfortable life that I'm quite thankful for — and I never, ever let myself forget where I came from. That's in no small part because all it takes is one catastrophic illness or other bad turn in life to end up back there again. But more importantly, it's because you've got to remind yourself that getting some lucky breaks doesn't make you better or harder working than someone else, it just means that you got lucky enough for your efforts to fall into place. I did work hard, yes, but there was also good fortune involved, too." —bamisdead 10."I once worked for a company where the CEO was used to flying private. The company then opened its first office overseas. For this purpose, he needed to fly commercial for the first time in about 20 years. After the trip his secretary took great pleasure in telling stories after his first trip on how clueless he was about commercial air travel: not knowing how to deal with the security screening, limitations on carry-on luggage, and being much more at the mercy of airlines in terms of scheduling." —thirdtimesdecharm 11."My therapist said I have generational wealth anxiety." —SeaConstant1433 "How can i get that anxiety?" —kosommokom 12."I did private duty home health for an extremely wealthy woman who had round-the-clock home care employees. I came to work one evening and was getting her ready for bed, and I noticed that she had several new yoga pants and casual tops hanging in her closet with the tags still on. I commented how cute they were, and she told me that her day shift worker had taken her shopping at Target, and asked me if I'd ever been there, followed by saying she 'never knew stores like that existed.' (Of course, she didn't know because everything she owned came from Neiman Marcus, Saks, Gucci, Prada, etc.)" "I laughed and said, 'Sweetie, if Target excited you that much, Walmart will blow your mind. You can get new tires on your car while you grocery shop, or get a new TV and even patio furniture.' She said, 'Are you kidding??! Well, then that's where we're going tomorrow!'" —Minimum-Career-9999 "That is actually very endearing. Kinda scary, but I love the attitude of enjoying the new opportunities. She might have been fun if that positive spin continued." —scattywampus 13."I worked my way through college doing housecleaning, babysitting, and retail jobs. Met a girl who laughed at me and said her father wanted her to know about the REAL working world, so every summer he got her hired by one of his client firms in the oil business. Bitch, please. The HARDEST part of the real world is getting a chance. And he hid that from you." —chockerl 14."'I don't know why people need remote work. I just had someone who drove my kids to school, so it didn't interfere with my work schedule.' You really think everyone can do this?" —Electronic-Shower726 15."'I don't understand people who go to Disney World and don't stay in a villa or one of the deluxe resorts! It's just not the same or not even close to worth it to be at the poor-people value resorts!' Said to my husband and I who were on our honeymoon while staying at a value resort. We are both teachers and saved up for YEARS to make that vacation happen." "We were just so grateful to be able to 1) take a honeymoon and 2) go somewhere that we both love but can't go to regularly because of how expensive it is. Opened my eyes to how so many people can't look past their own perspectives and gave me an understanding of where entitlement might come from." —Belle0516 16."A former friend of mine had a fight with her parents about some boy she met on Snapchat. The parents were 100% in the right. Guess what the punishment was. She wasn´t allowed to wear her designer clothes for a week. A week. She was so mad. It was so weird and a big reality check for me. I knew her parents were rich, but then I realised how different our lives were." —Icy-Rule-7248 17."'If you don't like this town, then move.' As if coming up with thousands of dollars to relocate and start over is just readily available. Yes, Priscilla, I would love to just move. How about you slip me about 10 grand so I can?" —meh_alienz 18."My roommate in my freshman year of college asked me, 'So when is the cleaning lady coming to collect our clothes to be washed?' now? She honestly thought that someone came around, picked up dirty laundry, washed and folded it, then returned it to us and thought that was part of our dorm fees." —readingreddit4fun 19."I'm planning a wedding and I've had MULTIPLE people tell me my wedding should be black tie because 'what grown adult doesn't own a tuxedo?'" —atlanduh 20."My ex grew up very wealthy and genuinely thought that when you're shopping for something, you should buy the most expensive item because it's the best. Also, he was so clueless that he thought that silver that tarnishes must be poor quality." —sqplanetarium 21."'I'm so happy to not go on vacation for a bit.' My coworker said this when she went abroad six times in one year. Different countries each time." —Maleficent_Count6205 22."I wasn't spoiled. I had to clean out my horse's stall myself." —DoTheRightThing1953 23."'I work hard, I should be able to travel wherever I want,' in a conversation about Indigenous people who were asking tourists not to come there because they saw it as harmful to their community." —StrawbraryLiberry 24."A girl I met travelling has fallen into an influencer pyramid scheme. I put up with it until she made a post saying the following: 'Unpopular opinion: if you're poor and you have a smartphone, then it's your fault.' Instant unfollow." —maryg1503 25."Refer to a speeding ticket as their 'go-fast license.'" —Trips-Over-Tail 26."'I don't care about politics.' Dude, people's lives and rights depend on this shit." —lifeincolour_ 27."I teach at an upper-middle-class middle school. I had a 7th grader extremely upset because his parents revoked the credit card privilege on his phone. He bought a bunch of designer clothes, and I guess racked up a bill. The kid was so mad, saying, 'It's not even their money! It's a credit card. Get over it, bro.' I tried to explain that you still have to pay the credit card company, it's not free money, but he wasn't hearing it." —SinfullySinless 28."One of my friends was complaining that she and her husband received no help from her parents when they went to buy their first house and that she had to use her trust fund instead." —stablerslut 29."Girl I was dating had a 'rough' month and needed $200 for a car repair. Casually said she'll just take out $5k from a savings account her parents gave her (with $125k in it) to treat herself for all the stress it caused her to bring the car to the workshop 2 miles away." —Groundbreaking-Tax-4 30."A wealthy girl once told me, 'We don't have as much money as everyone thinks. Last year, we barely had enough money to put in the pool house.'" —mattysatty_380 finally, "Having a military parade for your birthday." —wonderererere What's the most ridiculously privileged behavior you've witnessed from a rich person? Tell us what happened in the comments or via the anonymous form below:

Buzz Feed

7 hours ago

• Buzz Feed

33 Industry Secrets People Need To Know

Reddit user u/Eastern-Violinist-46 posed the question, "What's a dirty, little secret that you know only because you work in the industry?" People from a variety of industries came forward to share some behind-the-scenes info, and their anecdotes were super informative. Here's what people shared: "I own a sign shop, and I can tell you with 100% certainty that almost all businesses fail within the first year. If you think you are going to open a restaurant or a boutique, you are about to lose a bunch of money. Also, no matter what business you want to start, go talk to your local sign guy and ask how many businesses have been in that location and failed. Trust me, we know which locations are cursed." "I used to work for a major talent agency in Hollywood, and a lot of the Academy voters never watched the screeners and let their assistants vote on their behalf." "I'm in insurance. If you call to request an estimate for a claim, they will count it as a $0 claim on your file when they deem the damage not enough to repair. That means when another company pulls your information, it will not only impact your future rates, but might make you ineligible for future policies. Don't ever call insurance for an estimate first. Get a third party inspector to tell you whether you should file with insurance." "Always wash your new clothing before you wear it, even if it looks fresh and new. It's been thrown on the floor, moved around a dusty warehouse, tried on by a sweaty post-gym person, and probably sat in a stinky, humid shipping container for two months. Plus, you want to wash off all the starching/finishing products which make it look so 'new.'" "People cleaning their underwear in kettles is a huge problem in hotels. We find so many forgotten underpants in the kettles, and I can't even assume how many we didn't catch. Don't use them. If you want a nicer room in a hotel, book with Dr. or Prof. before your name. That makes you way more likely to be bumped up. When you're traveling privately, take a card from any hotel testing company with you and give it to the reception when you arrive to enter as the 'address for your bill.' Staff will be extra nice to you." "Engagement ring business here! Oh, so many. Most natural diamonds have been in, like, two or three rings before they end up in yours. Rings are made with more fragile designs than they used to be, because after you get tired of it breaking/needing repairs all the time, you will buy a new ring, thus giving us more $$$. This is also why the trends nowadays lean toward dainty and minimalistic with a massive stone, because it's a ticking time bomb. This is also why a lot of jewelry stores won't stop you from getting stones that are too soft for daily wear (looking at you, opal). The largest diamond distributor is Walmart. Diamonds that jewelry suppliers discard for being 'ugly' end up on James Allen and Brilliant Earth." "Leaving online shopping items in your cart while logged in will likely put you into an automated discount offer stream! So, if you intend to buy anyway, leave it in your cart for a few days and see if you get a marketing email with a discount code." "How dirty the fruits you put in drinks are. I quit getting oranges in my Blue Moons because I figured that orange drove up from Florida, got to North Dakota, was never washed, got cut up, and was put in my drink. Grosses me out." "There isn't a 'larger than normal call volume.' We just don't have enough staff. Also, your call is not important to us. We actually want you to go away." "I used to work in radio, and we totally didn't take caller number 10. We maybe counted one through six, and then sorted through the callers until we found an excited sounding voice that fit the target demographic." "Before I would go on stage as a male dancer, we would inject our penises with solution and/or take Viagra because we were supposed to be, at minimum, half hard all night. We were not allowed to be fully flaccid unless we were dressed. Same goes in amateur porn. Because of this, it's very hard to feel pleasure and finish from basic sex, and it takes a lot to get it up for women, even if you want to." "Casino boss here. If a shooting or death happens at a casino (all the time), it's almost never reported or shown in the news because local newspapers work together with casinos to avoid hurting the tourism in their city. You'll only hear whispers about it from coworkers, and that's it." Blurred Image of Gaming machines in a Casino. "Military-grade is a misnomer for high quality. While companies may sell high quality goods, deeming it military-grade would actually mean it's the cheapest, crappiest material that saves money right now and doesn't worry about 5–10 years from now because a new budget will be passed and the government will continue to be terrible with money." "I worked in grocery stores for about 40 years. Notice how most ice cream brands have lids that aren't sealed? When you're working stock, whenever a container falls on the floor, sometimes the lids fly off. Most workers just put the lids back on and put it on the shelf. It happens all the time. Always, always buy the handful of brands that actually seal the lids on, or you're just asking to get sick." "Maybe not a 'dirty' secret, but I work in the VFX industry and was shocked when I first learned how much 'beauty' work is done on actresses. All those famous middle-aged (and older) women that have aged so well? Yeah, we've gone in and removed their wrinkles, crow's feet, saggy neck, etc. Removing acne and acne scars from young performers was also a common occurrence. No wonder women and girls struggle so much with body image." "Your loved one looks at peace in their casket, but what you don't know is they have plastic eye caps under their eyelids that are (sometimes, not always) glued shut. There are either wires or sutures holding their mouth together and usually some cotton and a bit of wax on the inside to form that subtle smile. There might be a styrofoam block under their back to make the positioning look more natural and comfortable. There might be styrofoam blocks under the padding to help hold their arms in position. Depending on the case, they're probably wrapped in plastic garments underneath the clothing provided. There is a LOT of smoke and mirrors in preparation of a decedent." "I am working at a sports club with way over 2,000 members, and I can tell you, you might sign some paper about data security and how we handle data, but believe me, your data will go places you don't want it to go." "There are TONS of buildings out there that don't meet code, even new construction. Inspectors either don't care, don't know the code, or don't even bother to inspect in the first place. On the plus side, building code is extremely over-conservative, so if you get 'close,' it's probably safe. Maybe. Most of the time. Except when it's not. And then everyone gets sued." "I work in the medical field. This isn't really about my field exactly but an adjacent field: health insurance. There is a guy reviewing our notes looking for reasons to deny a claim. The guy reviewing generally has no clinical knowledge whatsoever, but they are looking for certain keywords so they can stamp the 'denial' on the claim. For this reason, I will omit certain things on the clinical notes if it isn't directly applicable to what I am treating because I know from experience that they will use that word as in indication that the proposed treatment is 'inappropriate' and therefore denied." "I've worked in two commercial rest homes: memory care and assisted living. They cut every corner known to man. The kitchens are pretty much guaranteed to be eligible for immediate jeopardy, meaning that if they fail a random inspection, they will be shut down that same day. The monthly food budget was less than what salary workers got paid. Food would show up rotten right off the trucks, and we were still instructed to pick out the 'bad stuff' and feed the rest to the residents. The rent is so predatory to families and residents. It was upwards of $2,500–$3,000 for a single-person room every month WITHOUT utilities. The residents pay $50 a meal for it to come cold and mushy in a styrofoam box." Nurse holding hands with patient in empathy, trust and support of help, advice and healthcare consulting. Kindness, counseling and medical therapy with doctor for hope, consultation and depression "Video editor here. We often leave obvious mistakes in early versions of the cuts so that the client will note them, making them feel smart and involved, likely leading to them not making extraneous notes elsewhere. People in non-creative positions (the majority of committee clients) absolutely love feeling like they've contributed in clever and meaningful ways to a creative project when we, the trained creatives, know better. It can save a very solid edit from the people who want to make notes for the sake of making notes." "I worked at a company with a third party 24-hour call center. They literally had times with no one working, and if you called, the automated system would just pick up and say, 'Someone would be with you shortly.' It would just repeat until someone actually clocked in and answered the phone." "This is kind of a lame one, but I work as a shirt printer. I've found that if you're an adult small, you're better off buying a youth large or youth XL, especially on T-shirts. They're a little wider, and XLs fit better than smalls. My sister learned this trick. She's 5'0" and actually saved a decent amount of money buying youth vs. adult." "When items are listed on sale at the grocery store, the sale price will be listed on a bib part of the tag while the 'regular' price is listed on the sticky part attached to the shelf. The 'regular price' is hiked up, sometimes by several dollars, to make it look like you're getting a better sale than you actually are, when in fact, the sale might actually not be that great of a deal at all. The sale price might even be almost as much as the price was before the sale. Pay attention to items at regular price when they are not on sale, and make sure that you're not getting swindled." "Enterprise Rent-A-Car buys their cars straight from the manufacturers at a price lower than dealerships get. After they rent them for a year, they sell them to the public at a price higher than they originally paid." "Beyond the visibly captured footage, pretty much everything you see in wildlife documentaries is faked. I've spent the past few years working in post, handling the raw footage. Those lizards falling from the trees? There's a dude dropping them to get the shot. That rare snow leopard they tracked across its natural habitat? It's actually three or four similar-looking ones. That mother elephant protecting her baby? It's a male elephant with the tusks and penis VFX'd out. The sound is whatever the foley artist could find that worked. The audience expects certain sounds, and some animals don't sound like you've been tricked into believing. That's just the tip of the iceberg." "I work in large scale construction. Large developers effectively borrow on the credit of all of the smaller players who are their subcontractors. You have billion-dollar companies asking smaller companies to pay for them with a promise to pay later. The larger the developer, the slower the process is to get paid. If a project goes bust, it's these small guys that get hit because all of the developers have LLCs that are project specific. No assets to speak of." "So many of your favorite actors and actresses are wearing expensive ($8,000–$20,000+) hairpieces and wigs. I know because I put them on." "I work in a call center for a large cellular company and have a dirty, little secret that consists of just two words. Ready? Be nice. That's all it takes. There's no need to threaten anyone, be aggressive, or take your anger out on us. We're real people just like you, not just a voice on the other end of the line. When you're rude, belligerent, or threatening toward us, that makes us want to do less for you. And, we will. We'll do as little as possible and maybe make you jump through extra hoops for being a pain. But, if you're nice, patient, and treat us like human beings, we'll bend over backwards to do what we can for you. We didn't cause the situation you're in. While it's reasonable to be upset about something, it's completely unreasonable to take it out on someone else. Talk to us. Tell us what's going on. Give us a chance to help, and we will." "Luxury hotels document EVERYTHING. The really ritzy places will make note on every single phone call/interaction you have. It's great for remembering special occasions and creating a really memorable stay, but it also means we know exactly how you're a pain in the butt. Irritate us enough and we'll be oddly busy and sold out for every night you're looking to book in the future." "Digital porn artist of 20+ years here. This isn't so much a 'dirty, little secret' as it is something I think people should really know about: Hollywood and 'society' may have ridiculous body standards for people, but most everyday people's actual interests/tastes are MUCH more broad and inclusive than that. Whatever your body is like, there are millions of people who would find you sexy. Whatever kink you have, you're not the only one. As long as your personality isn't garbage and you've got the patience to sort through the incompatibles, you can absolutely find a partner who would be into you. I'd put money on it." "I work in journalism. It's not uncommon for publishers and other top-tier managers to hold stories out of fear the reporting will anger advertisers. It's also not uncommon for reporters to fight like hell to preserve the integrity of a story." And: "I worked in factory floor automation, and oftentimes, the generic products sold at supermarkets are just the brand-name product in different packaging. I worked at a massive bread bakery of a well-known national brand, and the bread was all the same. When they finished a lot of their brand-name bread, they paused the packaging line and loaded on a new wheel of bags and kept bagging bread from the same batch in whatever store brand was up next. I saw the same thing at an orange juice packaging plant. There was only one set of production lines, and they turned out a dozen different brands of OJ. It all came from the same oranges and from the same lines. It just got packaged in different cartons." What are some other industry secrets more people need to know? Tell us in the comments!

Yahoo

7 hours ago

• Yahoo

Is Net Worth More Important Than A High Salary? Some Say Yes, Others Argue A High Salary With Low Net Worth Is 'Much Easier To Fix'

When a Reddit user recently posted a rant claiming that net worth is more important than salary, it sparked a heated debate. The post criticized people who flaunt six-figure incomes but have little to show for it. The author questioned the value of a high paycheck if it all disappears to debt and lifestyle costs. 'Who cares what you make if you are still broke,' they wrote. The poster argued that plenty of six-figure earners live paycheck to paycheck and flex their income despite being buried in debt. 'I would rather make 50k a year and have 250k NW, than 150k a year and be in debt,' they wrote, adding, 'Having high NW displays financial discipline and competence.' Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can Some people agreed, pointing out that income is only one part of the story. 'I worked with a guy who made over 100k,' one commenter wrote. 'Refused to save anything, not even 401(k). He bought anything and everything he wanted. He's still doing it.' Others pushed back, saying a high salary gives you more options and flexibility. 'Give me the high salary and low net worth. Much easier to fix,' one person said. Another argued, 'That 150k [salary] can erase debt and build a 250k NW a hell of a lot faster than the 50k / 250k one can increase.' A more detailed reply laid out how someone earning $150,000 could contribute aggressively to retirement, get employer matches, and outpace someone with a smaller income within a few years. 'You could waste ALL of your 126.5K minus taxes and end up with a quarter mill in 5 years,' the commenter explained. Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . Despite disagreements, one consistent theme emerged: discipline matters more than raw numbers. 'If you have an uncontrollable spending problem, it doesn't matter how much you make,' a user wrote. 'You can make 1 million a year and if you still spend 1.2 million you're an idiot.' Another summed it up this way: 'Net worth isn't always a sign of discipline but your post is well taken. If I made a million dollars per year for one year it doesn't make you rich.' Several pointed out that net worth often includes illiquid assets like homes, which can inflate the numbers without improving someone's day-to-day finances. 'You can't access your 401(k) without paying a penalty... unless your net worth is mostly comprised of cash in a mattress, a low salary and high net worth won't increase your buying power,' one user the end, some people argued that the best position is to have both: a strong income and disciplined saving habits. Consistent contributions to your retirement—while increasing the percentage over time— and positive cash flow are even more important, as those will build your net worth over time. A high income can fuel savings and investment, while net worth provides security when income slows down. Building both and understanding how they support each other is what creates lasting financial stability. Read Next: Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Is Net Worth More Important Than A High Salary? Some Say Yes, Others Argue A High Salary With Low Net Worth Is 'Much Easier To Fix' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data