Rethinking Money, Time, and Life with Bill Perkins

They explored Bill’s philosophy of prioritizing life experiences over accumulating wealth, challenging traditional ideas about saving, retirement, and legacy, and reflecting on the career journey and lessons that shaped his perspective. They also covered how time—not money—is our most finite resource, the cost of delaying enjoyment, and how individuals and families can better align financial decisions with the life they want to live.

Watch or listen to the replay.

1. Who is Bill Perkins?  

Bill Perkins is an investor, entrepreneur, and author of Die with Zero. He is the founder and managing partner of Skylar Capital and is widely known for his work in energy trading, his philosophy on maximizing life experiences, and his views on money, time, and fulfillment.

2. What are the top reasons to listen to this webcast?  

• Learn why Perkins believes money is simply a tool for creating meaningful life experiences.
• He discusses how concepts like regret minimization and opportunity cost shape his decisions around work, investing, and life.
• Understand why he argues that most people save too much and wait too long to use their wealth.
• Perkins share his thinking on giving money to children, retirement, and “dying with zero.”
• Hear why worrying about other people’s opinions limits risk-taking and personal growth.
• He examines how he balances wealth creation, longevity, and maximizing fulfillment across different stages of life.

3. How does Perkins define the relationship between money and time?

He argues that money is simply stored time and energy. Rather than thinking in dollars, he learned to think in terms of how much time and energy an experience or purchase actually costs him.

4. What does Perkins mean by “regret minimization”?

He describes it as evaluating decisions based on which path creates the least future regret. In his view, many people avoid risk not because of financial consequences, but because they fear embarrassment, judgment, or failure.

5. Why does Perkins believe people save too much money?

Most people continue accumulating wealth long after they have enough to support the life they actually want. He believes many delay gratification indefinitely and never fully convert their money into meaningful experiences.

6. Why does Perkins believe people should give money to their children earlier in life?

Money creates the greatest impact when people are young enough to fully use it. Receiving money at 30 can meaningfully shape someone’s life, while receiving it decades later often has far less practical value.

7. How does Perkins think about fulfillment across different stages of life?

Life has seasons, and different experiences belong in different periods. Maximizing fulfillment requires intentionally aligning experiences with the age, health, and energy needed to fully enjoy them.

8. How did Perkins develop such a high tolerance for risk and uncertainty?

Growing up facing stereotypes and judgment taught him not to care deeply about other people’s opinions. He describes that mindset as a superpower because it allows him to take risks without being paralyzed by fear of failure or embarrassment.

9. What role does longevity play in Perkins’ philosophy?

He spends significant time and resources focused on health and longevity because health is essential to maximizing experiences. More years only matter if those years still allow for meaningful activity, connection, and adventure.

10. What does Perkins ultimately mean by “die with zero”?

The idea is not about reckless spending or literally ending life with no money. The core argument is that people should intentionally use their wealth, health, and time to maximize fulfillment throughout life instead of stockpiling resources they will never meaningfully use.

‍

^{As an Amazon Associate, Walker & Dunlop earns a commission from qualifying purchases.}