I understand that there is wealth in D.R. (and every poor country) but in D.R. is it something that is attainable by "regular" people? The old "lift yourself up by the bootstraps", or is it mostly a matter of being connected or coming from family money? Can a person work hard, get good grades in school, have ambition, live a clean life and make it? Criminal proceeds don't count.
Hard? Yes. Can it be done? Of course, with lots of hard work and saving money instead of spending it "keeping up with the Joneses."
I can give you a personal example: I used to have a fleet of tractors (as in hauling cargo) I was having a hard time of it because they were old and I spent a lot on keeping them going.
I finally gave up and liquidated the drivers. I told one of them he should take his liquidation money and buy a tractor, and he could move my trailers, so he did.
That was around 12 years ago. He still moves my trailers, and now has a fleet of 7 tractors and moves the majority of trailers in my area. Successful? I think so.
I run a warehouse business that is successful as well.
Here's another story: Back in the eighties, I worked for a shoe company in Santiago. I used to go to the Monument to have a couple of hot dogs. There were hotdog carts all over the area, so I went many times over the years.
When I first started going, I was eating a hotdog when a man walked up to me and said hello, and asked if the hotdog was good? I said yes, and he nodded and smiled.
A few nights later I was eating one at a different stand and checking out the foot traffic (ahem) and the same gentleman walked up to me, said hello, and asked again if the hot dog was good. I said yes and off he went.
A couple of nights later I was at still another stand, and the same thing happened again, so I asked him why.
He said he wanted to make sure I would come back again. I asked him which stand was his, and he said "All of them"
He went on to tell me about how he'd never get rich with a hot dog stand, but when you have dozens of hot dog stands, that changes everything.
Another example? I bet there are only a few persons here on the forum that know how many Helados Bon stores there are on the island and how Bon got started.
The same concept applies to ice cream as it does for Hot Dogs.
I can give you examples all day.
Hard work, and lots of it.