what percentage of professional chess players are poor?

Dunno what the source for this claim is but it sounds about right.  If you're not one of the top 100 players, you better have a regular job:

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-do-professional-chess-players-earn.htm

Being "poor" or "rich" is statment that doesn't have much relevance because it means didffrent things to every person. Two years ago I was doing vey well in life, driving a $70,000 Mercedes, living in a luxury condo, eating out everyday of the weak for breakfast, lunch & dinner.  I had a horrible accident at end of 2012 that resulted in me losing everything and going penniless.  At age 52, I live with my mom so I have shelter, food in my stomach, governement medical coverage, a computer with Internet access, and I feel much "richer" than before my accident.  Humility is the great teacher in life. So if you have basic life necessaties, I think your are "Rich" and anything else is just a bonus. Of course, just my  humble opinion.

And that is what it took for you to appreciate life.  I have a friend that made over a million a year.  The man had it all, family, cars, houses, vacations, all the material stuff you could want.  The only problem was, he thought he was his own God, he controlled everything. 

About 5 years ago, he lost everything.  he now makes $50,000 a year, but his home life is happy.  Hes closer to his wife, kids, family then hes ever been.  It took almost losing his family and making a "normal" living for him to appreciate what he has. 

One of the truest statements ever is that money is the root of all evil.

In fact, the quote runs: The love of money is the root of all evil.

Fischer died poor

Two million bucks is poor?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/world/europe/05chess.html?_r=0

So why are we limiting the discussion to poor chess players? Aren't 99.9999% of Humanity poor, by that rather artificial definition?

I think we need a new traffic warning sign:

Wow, I wish I were poor then.

You are!

Probably 2 million dollars in chess books, = a couple thousand dollars in real money. 

In the Olympiad very few of the easterneuropean players went out for a beer. (Beer in Norway is very expencive because of genaral cost level and special taxes which are ment to both save the state-budget and save us from becoming alcoholics.)

This tells me that lots of great chessplayers dont have great bankaccounts.

I'm over $100,000 in debt (don't own anything)

Poor?? an, ur rated over 2000

I'm poor at chess. (Blitz Rating of 520)

Is that why you keep bumping your poker threads?

The LACK of money is the root of all evil.

Money and evil are at most loosely correlated - Scottrf.

Or they don't drink.

Evil is the root of all evil.

who's looking at this forum in 2022