The New Ideal Job: Passive Income

Punching a clock is out; making money while you sleep is in, or so a growing slice of Americans hopes. In the Wall Street Journal, Joe Pinsker dives into the boom in "passive income" schemes, from a Texas engineer who designed an oversized lint roller for pet hair that now brings him up to $115,000 a year for just two hours of monthly work, to a 31-year-old in Spain whose AI-cloned voice earns about $3,000 a month in licensing fees. Surveys show many workers, especially younger ones, doubt a standard full-time job will ever get them where they want financially, and they're turning to platforms like Airbnb and Etsy and asking AI for ideas to help them bridge the gap—or replace their traditional job entirely.

Pinsker, who cites a 2025 Bankrate poll that found about 25% of Americans say they have a "side hustle," also details the darker side: crowded markets, get-rich-quick courses that don't pay off, and outright fraud. The FTC has gone after operations promising "autopilot" cash, while some people chasing the dream end up losing thousands. Even the apparent wins can be fragile: One 19-year-old makes thousands by reselling Amazon goods for a higher price on eBay, which is against both sites' terms. He's unbothered: "We don't know how long this is gonna last but we're just gonna make as much money as we can." Read the full piece for more.