more than 100k. Its quite amazing what investment can do.
If you can make 100K by the time you are 23 i'd stick to investing, it'll be much more profitable that trying to get a job flying in the next 4 years or so.
(unless of course you were given 200K to start with)
As such a sucsessful investor you will know the importance of timing. By and sell your investments at the right time and you can make a fortune, by and sell at the wrong time and you'll loose the lot.
Similarly, starting and finishing your trainning at the right time and you'll stand a fair chance of getting a job. Starting and finishing at the wrong time and it could prove to be very costly.
However, if you do choose to start your trainning soon you should feel happy in the knowlege that you'll be helping to keep an instructor in a job during what will inevitably be a tough few years for FTOs. It will also ensure that there are instructors available to train those who have been more prudent than yourself when the up turn does come along.
Do yourself a favour and before you do part with any money, spend the next week or so reading the financial crisis section of the telegraph on line to get a feel for how bad things are and how much worse they are going to get. If you still think that you are going to be the exception then go for it, alternatively you may just spot an oppotunity to invest some of that 100K at a time when the market is low which may put you in a much better position in 2 years time to start your trainning and still have some money to live on while you are hunting for your first job.