Rich is a state of mind. To put any arbitrary caps on wealth means you have to judge money rather than what someone does with it.

There are billionaires who are poor because they can't fulfill their dreams of building a future city. There are plenty of folks who are rich because they can afford to take the kids to McDonald's once or twice a week.

I believe I read in Fortune that the new breakdown of wealth declares that millionaires aren't really rich anymore - that a million is chump change.

The scale went something like this:

$150,000 Comfortable
$300,000 Very Comfortable
$750,000-$1,000,000 Well Off
$1,000,000 - $5,000,000 Wealthy
$5,000,000- $50,000,000 Very Wealthy
$100,000,000 + Rich
$250,000,000 + Very Rich

I know some folks who agree with this scale and others who find it preposterous. After seeing one's dollar grow weaker over time and especially if one has lived in California - the scale is probably inclined to make more sense than not.

In 1930 a "rich" persons home might cost $30,000. That was exorbitant for the time. A millionaire could buy 33 rich homes.

Today a "rich" home averages about $1,000,000 (Clearly Not in California;-) A person would have to be worth $33,000,000 to be as rich as their great grandfather, the millionaire.

In California a "rich" home costs between $5,000,000 - $10,000,000, making the scale tilt so that a "rich" person would have to be worth at least $165,000,000.

Once one enters the race to wealth - one never feels truly rich unless one also felt rich when one had a twenty in one's wallet.

Wealth can become a prison wherein one becomes totally disatisfied with one's life unless one has this and can buy that. Soon you find yourself at Neiman Marcus paying $150 for a designer tie you could buy at Nordstrom for $35 and a relabeled one at Ross for $10.

You get stuck in the late-model rut and feel ashamed if your Mercedes, BMW or car of choice is over two years old. You envy the guy in the Lamborghini Muricelago while your in your "old" Diablo Roadster. Your wife feels the need to have a rock on her finger capable of cutting glass and requiring it's own insurance policy. You know the furriers by name and also when the furs are on sale and when the fur caravan comes to town. You attend at least one or two designer couture shows each year and applaud designs which are circus-freak horrific, designs made by guys who don't particularly care for women in the first place.

You have at least one audit to your name, and at least one tax lawyer on retainer who never seems to succeed in his goals. You have an accountant (Possibly a celebrity accountant - yes there is a "ranking" to accountants) And if you live in California, the California Franchise Tax Board loves to send you outrageously calculated tax bills out of the blue. You know what the Robb Report is and the DuPont Registry, you attend Concours in Pebble Beach and know your way around the auctions in Scottsdale and Newport Beach.

You may have ex-wives, divorce attorneys and have a prenuptial agreement in a safety deposit box relating to your current wife. You may or may not have had plastic surgery and if you have, likely more than once. If your wife has had surgery, you will know that she is never satisfied with the results and never looks like an eighteen year old no matter how many lifts, tucks, and stretches are performed. You fear being sued for your wealth and actually let the threat of suits influence your life and affairs. You choose wealthy friends who you feel will never ask you for a loan and are happily married. Your wife has many friends and they like to go shopping and on small vacations together - more often than not without you.

Yes - that is being rich. (A small glimpse anyways)

You can see that being rich is not all it's cracked up to be. In fact, there are many who make do with much less who get FAR more satisfaction out of life and never even break six figures.
Some families have kids which demand every new thing they see on TV and which their friends have. They are never satisfied even after one spends 10,000+ a year on toys alone. They are as unsatisfied as their parents.

Rich is ultimately a state of mind. He who has peace-of-mind is truly rich.

SDAI-Tech1