I have heard versions of this very reasonable question many times, but it misunderstands what money is to the hyper-wealthy (aside from just how they keep score of who’s got the worst daddy issues) — it’s a *flow*, not a fixed supply. How much water is enough for a firefighter? No such thing! …
Anil this makes sense but also hurts my heart.
For the hyper-wealthy, money is a flow they point at the things they want to exert their power upon. Past a certain point, because of leverage, their amount of wealth is essentially endless. Worrying about “having money” is like a firefighter having to calculate how many gallons of water they need.
This is fascinating, and feels true. It’s related to how very wealthy people can have a ton of capital but still be cash poor because of the way money can be stuck in places while it’s making more money. It’s like discontinuities in the flow of money. Something something calculus derivatives.
If you can buy anything you want, the only thing to strive for is more money. It’s an end in itself, not a means to an end.
But there is too much water for firefighters, where the intensity makes it impossible for a single person to hold & properly direct the flow; more important though is the lesson of King Midas, who lacked wisdom needed to control his own urges & gold consumed all he loved--Lost on our global elites.
