<p>What do you plan on doing with your PhD once you get it? How do you plan on obtaining “wealthy” status? What’s your definition of wealthy? </p>
<p>My personal take is that a PhD is not all that profitable an endeavor. Looking at some of the different posts as well as the stickies above, people will ward you against pursuing a PhD. I feel like you have to have an end-goal plan that includes a need for a PhD to make it “profitable” for yourself; I don’t use “profit” as monetary gain but instead something more intellectual/practical that you need to help you get forward in life. </p>
<p>You can make money and get respect no matter what your life choices: you don’t need a PhD for that. From what you described, I would assume an M.S. in engineering or even an MBA and go into some kind of engineering field on the marketing/business side of things would seem like the tree you’re barking up.</p>