Maybe you already are. Good for you. Most investors aren't. They're still waiting for the big pay off. The problem is that most of them don't understand that there are several ways to be rich. Here are three ways to get yours.

For most people it takes a long time to gather enough wealth to feel comfortable, a great way to define rich. It takes years of saving, investing, and sacrificing for future rewards. It's not easily done, but if done correctly, it will pay off.

"With the uber-ambitious Ellison and Hurd now paired, I think the safe bet is we're going so see Oracle (ORCL) make some major moves (yes, probably more than one major acquisition)," suggests tech sector expert Paul McWilliams.

The editor of Next Inning explains, "After all, even without Hurd at his side, Oracle founder, Larry Ellison has been an aggressive buyer and now with Hurd on board I think the appetite could become ravenous.

"I think its probably a good idea to start thinking about what Oracle might do next.

When Mark Hurd took the CEO spot for Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) in 2005, the board wanted to put an end to the drama. After all, the company's former CEO, Carly Fiorina, was a magnet for controversy. Hurd, on the other hand, was a no-nonsense operator.

Well, over the past month, he appears much different. Of course, the trigger was the resignation over allegations of sexual harassment and false expense reports. Maybe Hurd is the Manchurian CEO?

The Wall Street Journal reports that the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Mark Hurd, is in talks with enterprise software maker Oracle (ORCL) about becoming an executive there. Hurd left HP in early August following allegations of sexual harassment by a former contractor. An investigation failed to find any evidence of sexual misconduct by Hurd.

What position Hurd may take up is unknown; Oracle's founder and CEO, Larry Ellison, will not be stepping down from his position, according to people familiar with the matter. Ellison did criticize HP's board for ousting Hurd, telling the New York Times that the board had failed to act in the best interest of its shareholders, employees and customers.

The foolishness that goes on in the adult world sets a poor example for the next generation. The poor decisions, arrogance and even stupidity of the Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) board of directors and the equally unfit to lead NCAA is shameful. Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle (ORCL) is correct in calling out the board of HP for firing CEO Mark Hurd, understanding the harm and injustice done to the company and its shareholders.

I can think of no more hypocritical organization then the NCAA, which has also shown itself to lack a sense of fair play and justice, while holding itself aloof and making demands of others. Its out-of-touch judgments and penalties for rules infractions make no sense, and USC students with no culpability were on the receiving end of it.

From his apartment in 1999, Marc Benioff started a new-fangled software company, Salesforce.com (CRM). While there have been some missteps along the way, the company is a model of success. Today, Salesforce.com generates more than $1 billion in sales, is profitable and has a market cap of $9 billion.

How did Marc do it? Well, now we have a chance to find out. That is, he has written an excellent book about his experiences and strategies, called Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company -- and Revolutionized an Industry.

"Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) has fattened itself up by swallowing more than 50 companies in the past five years," says Richard Moroney.

In Dow Theory Forecasts, he suggests, "Oracle has proved itself capable of delivering predictable earnings even during tough times by squeezing higher returns out of its assets, including those inherited via $35 billion worth of acquisitions over the past half-decade."

"While some fear the software giant is choking on its latest meal (Sun Microsystems), the deal makes sense operationally.

A look at the lives of the Forbes 400 implies that the most important attribute is the ability to sift through ambiguity. Contradictions abound, meaning that shades of gray hold the answer to your burning desire for riches. Should you go to a great school? Well, yes ... but only if you're going for an MBA and plan to work for a major financial firm. But, you can still go to an Ivy League school if you're not studying finance but join Skull and Bones. Of course, dropping out of Harvard can be a great way to launch a career in the technology field.

It's tricky. There are no easy answers. But, the road to billions is littered with the corpses of aspiring magnates who thought it wouldn't be difficult. So, don't just read the seven attributes after the jump. Understand them. Read them twice. Then, your future financial situation will be assured.

Or, you can just do one of those chain e-mails and wish for wealth.

[Thanks, Forbes and MSNBC]

Even the mighty Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) can't seem to withstand the global recession, as IT budgets continue to tighten. At the same time, the strong U.S. dollar has taken a toll.

In fact, Oracle's fiscal fourth quarter saw the first decline in revenues since 2002. That is, revenues fell 5.2% to $6.86 billion. Profits also decreased 7.2% to $1.89 billion.

Another problem: license revenues. These fell by about 13% for the quarter. Again, this is an indication that it's tough to get new business.

Over the years, Oracle's (NASDAQ: ORCL) CEO, Larry Ellison, has bulked up his company through aggressive M&A deals. Simply put, he thought there was too much capacity -- and valuations were affordable. Well, it looks like other mega tech companies are seeing the merits of this strategy. In fact, according to Reuters, it appears that this could be a big year for tech M&A.

And, there is certainly enough buying power, such as from companies like Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ). Already, the deal-making is revving up. For example, IBM is in the process of paying a hefty all-cash premium for Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ: JAVA). There was also Cisco's $590 purchase of Pure Digital Technologies last week.