Weekend Reading: Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous
This article appears as part of Casey Weade's Weekend Reading for Retirees series. Every Friday, Casey highlights four hand-picked articles on trending retirement topics and delivers them straight to your email inbox. Get on the list here.
If you’ve seen the show Shark Tank, you’ll know who Kevin O’Leary is. With a $400 million net worth tied to his name, he lives a life many dream of. However, O’Leary also recently made the following statement: “You may lose your wife, you may lose your dog, your mother may hate you. None of those things matter. What matters is that you achieve success and become free. Then you can do whatever you like.”
READ THE ARTICLEAuthor Jack Raines had some differing thoughts on O’Leary’s definition of success, happiness and freedom. A few include:
📌 Money can buy you freedom, but the never-ending pursuit of money is a prison of its own: When you tie success to money, your desire to always accrue more creates a constant strain.
📌 There are different types of wealth, and sacrificing a higher form of wealth for the sake of money is never worth it: Money is only one type of wealth; other forms include knowledge, time, health, experiences, etc., which are much more valuable.
📌 A life that is rich in all other regards but deficient in relationships is hollow at best, and depressing at worst: Is “success” and “freedom” worth the cost of family and friends?
You could be the wealthiest person in the world and still feel unhappy. Money and success aren’t at the root of happiness, but these tools can be leveraged to enhance your purpose and elevate the meaning you experience in life.