What is the magic number for financial satisfaction?

[Entropy]

How much money do you need to be satisfied? A thousand? Million? Billion? I've been thinking about all the super rich people in the world that are still making billions of dollars, why do they keep going? Don't they have enough money? Are they saving up to buy a small country or something?

So how much money do you need to be satisfied?

 

[matthyaouw]

I have a feeling that if I were super-rich the guilt of having all that money while others don't would outweigh the advantages for me.
I'm happy with enough to keep me going, plus enough extra that I can go out with friends when I want to, and maybe take the occasional trip.

 

[brewnog]

How much money do you need to be satisfied? A thousand? Million? Billion? I've been thinking about all the super rich people in the world that are still making billions of dollars, why do they keep going? Don't they have enough money? Are they saving up to buy a small country or something?
So how much money do you need to be satisfied?

Many of the super-rich are highly motivated entrepreneurs, who are driven by the satisfaction of success, rather than just money.

Money alone wouldn't satisfy me, although it would definitely remove some pressure! For me, having some cashflow inwards is a novelty which hasn't quite worn off yet! I'm sure this will change in the near future...

 

[wolram]

I am lucky i do not need much money to get by, i have a little 106 oil burning
car that needs refueling once a month, i have no expensive tastes, most of
my money ends up in the bank, i shall have to find a use for it one day.

 

[JamesU]

I'll take a few trillion dollars and leave it at that

 

[Artman]

How much money do you need?

How much you want to give me?

I've taken your position in arguements with people I work with. They say they would love to win hundreds of millions of dollars in a lottery. I always tell them, "It will change your life and not necessarily for the better."

I wouldn't mind winning enough to allow me to pursue some of my other interests, but not so much that my friends would act weird (er) towards me.

 

[mattmns]

My dad says that if he won the lottery he would pay off his house, car, and the rest of his bills, and then give the rest of the money away.

I remember watching a video in a psych class I took about people who won the lottery and now are not happy at all with their life. The psychologist came to the conclusion that once you are out of the welfare zone, more money does not make the average person happier.

I personally feel that I will be happy with making a teacher's salary.

 

[Danger]

I would like to have enough that I would no longer have to work, with a bunch left over for shop and lab facilities to muck about with. If I could also afford it, I'd like to build a huge animal shelter for cats and dogs, and help out with some medical equipment.

edit: I just threw 'dogs' in there to avoid offending anyone. I don't like dogs.

 

[Entropy]

The psychologist came to the conclusion that once you are out of the welfare zone, more money does not make the average person happier.

No. Upper class people tend to be happier than lower class people, despite what you may think.

I'd take enough money for me to live a modest life without working, although I'd still work. There isn't really anything super-expensive that I'd want.

 

[loseyourname]

Several billion would be good. I'd probably invest most of it, some in stocks, and possibly I'd get into some venture capitalism. That way, I can ensure that the money is getting some work done and not just sitting around. I do think the rich have a responsibility to continually seek to expand and enlarge their ventures, and invest everywhere they can, thereby creating opportunities for others. I'd likely set up competitive grant and scholarship funds as well. I'd buy my sister a nice house and set up a college fund for her daughter, because I don't trust her and her boyfriend to provide my niece with a good life. I think I'd donate to the Agora Project, too, because it seems like an idea I could get behind. The last thing I know I would do is patronize artists, in particular friends of mine whom I know have great talent, but are afraid to pursue their artistic dreams because it isn't likely to make them much money. I'd definitely bankroll my ex-girlfriend's documentary film project about the evolution of socioeconomic conditions in New York City.

After that, I'm not sure what I would need for personal use. The only extravagant thing I would likely do is build myself a basketball gym, possibly an indoor track, and buy a couple sports cars, a small single-engine plane, and two boats: one with sails, and one without. I wouldn't need a particularly large house; something isolated and coastal would do. I'd like to have a house custom-built and I'd like to take some part in both the design and building of it. I'd continue my education and probably become a part-time professor, not bothering to seek tenure anywhere, and I'd spend the bulk of my time writing novels - along with boating, flying, and driving my fast cars.

 

[brewnog]

If I were given a limitless pot of cash tomorrow, I'd probably go and buy a couple of extremely modest cars, a nice flat around here somewhere, and carry on working (but only when it suited me). I'd do a shedload of investing like LYN, and ensure that I locked a shedload of it away for my retirement (which would probably occur when I reach 40).

I'd pay off all my friends' student debts, and then probably just blow the rest on beer and curry, and have an amazing night out to celebrate. I might buy a fire engine and kit it out with some massive rims, a jacuzzi, and a bar. I'd lower it, and put one of my engines in it with some phat zorsts. Then I'd buy me some land and some bricks, no wait, Lego, yeahhh, Lego! And I'd start building my own amazing Lego mansion! And fill it with Fizzy Fish and Cola Bottles and BlackJacks! And I'd have a swimming pool filled with Strongbow just for the hell of it! Arrrrrrggggghhhhhhhh it's gone to my head already! Quite easy to see how these gangsta pimps get carried away.

 

[ShawnD]

How much money do you need to be satisfied? A thousand? Million? Billion? I've been thinking about all the super rich people in the world that are still making billions of dollars, why do they keep going? Don't they have enough money? Are they saving up to buy a small country or something?
So how much money do you need to be satisfied?

Why do you keep fragging people in video games? You already have the top score. Are you some kind of jerk trying to make people feel bad?
We like to succeed in what we're good at. Rich people are good with money, so they want more.
Gaming nerds are good at games, so they play more to get better. You may not be able to relate to games, but the people who played on my game server a few years back took statistics very seriously. It meant a lot to be #1 instead of #10.
If you're a man whore, your priority may be sleeping with as many women as possible. Sure one woman is enough, but you want more!I'd like enough money to be able to never worry about money. I would have a modest house and modest car, and I would still eat normal people food. The only things that I would want to charge are my clothes (nice clothes are expensive) and the things I can do for fun. I've always wanted to go skydiving, but it costs $300. I would like to try bungee jumping as well. And I want to try parasailing.
I would also travel a little bit around the world, find out most of it sucks, and come back home feeling satisfied that I live exactly where I want to live.

 

[russ_watters]

How much money do you need to be satisfied? A thousand? Million? Billion? I've been thinking about all the super rich people in the world that are still making billions of dollars, why do they keep going? Don't they have enough money? Are they saving up to buy a small country or something?

So how much money do you need to be satisfied?

I could probably be comfortable forever with about a million dollars, if I invest wisely and don't splurge.

But there are always more things you can buy. $100,000 would get me a nice observatory. Half a million, a nice yacht or plane.

Regardless, I certanly don't fault wealthy people for wanting more. It's tough to actually draw line and say 'ok, that's enough'. Usually, that's a matter of age, not wealth. When billionaires get old, they start feeling altruistic.

 

[zoobyshoe]

The amount I think I need to be satisfied is dependent on how well "basics" are covered. When they're all covered, then the amount I fantasize about needing decreases dramatically. When they're covered with plenty left over for minor luxuries, I can get to feeling that I am extremely wealthy.

If I had no limit I'd do two things. Like Danger, I would like a good, really big, (warehouse-sized) space for a shop. I would also buy run down properties and whenver I met a homeless or down-and-out person I liked, I'd let them live in them in exchange for the labor of gradually fixing them up. Mr. Robin Parsons would no longer be living in a tent.

 

[ShawnD]

Mr. Robin Parsons would no longer be living in a tent.

I thought that guy said he was a lawyer.

 

[Loren Booda]

Entropy

How much money do you need to be satisfied?

My question might be: how much achievement do I need to be satisfied?

 

[Danger]

I believe that the profits from one single measly little South African gold mine could keep me reasonably comfortable.

 

[zoobyshoe]

I thought that guy said he was a lawyer.

He's homeless. He shifts around between his tent, couch surfing, and shelters. He gets online in public and university libraries, and sometimes on friend's computers.

 

[tribdog]

He's homeless. He shifts around between his tent, couch surfing, and shelters. He gets online in public and university libraries, and sometimes on friend's computers.

I've been there, I'm definitely happier now than I was then, however, I was happier homeless than I was living with my last girlfriend. I had moments of happiness as a homeless guy that were greater than any I have now though. Homelessness is filled with extremes really sad when it rains, super happy when you get a good meal.

 

[moose]

There are some projects I would invest in, which require money in the billions...Other than that, rich people want more, not because of the money, but because of the power/image... Plus, I would like to know how much more I could make as well...

 

[Anttech]

My question might be: how much achievement do I need to be satisfied?

Good point, there is a difference between earning your money and winning it on the loto.

If I had Bill Gates type money, I would destroy the Banks, and make money worthless for everyone... Muuhhaaaa

 

[Bladibla]

google amounts of money.

Would use it to fund more space probes, and my own riches.

 

[Gale]

i'd want enough to pay off school. and then some i could just save for when i was ready to settle down and buy a house and support a family. otherwise, i don't need much now. maybe a few thousand to spend on just fun stuff... i'd like to travel a bit. otherwise, everything i want to do in my life, i can earn money myself and do. and most of the things i want to do right now involve volunteer work and that obviously doesn't require money.

 

[Astronuc]

If it was just me, I wouldn't need any money.

But since I have a mortgage and family, I just need enough to cover those needs and put a little away for their future.

 

[marlon]

by western european standards, you can give me about 2 to 3 million euro's


then i will be, err, statisfied

marlon

 

[marlon]

and another thing...i want to go live in "the silent power of the world", CANADA because here in western europe, there is no future left for highly educated people. You are better off by doing nothing here.

marlon

ps where are the Canadians here, i have some practical questions for them

 

[Smurf]

Right now I'd be happy with just a job..

 

[Just some guy]

As much money as possible really. So that i can pursue all my crazy extravagant fantasies (say, what would it be like to pilot a giant spidery mechanical thing around London making roaring noises? Or funding a company that builds excessively large rockets and to hell with the profit margins? Or buying out a small sub-saharan african state so I can build a particle accelerator that would put the CERN site to shame?), as well as being able to throw tons of cash at charities to appease my guilty conscience (and bribe money, lots and lots of bribe money )

 

[Andy]

I figure 2 million english pounds would suffice, a few hundred thousand for me and the rest for the girlfriends clothes, make-up and jewelry!

If i had plenty of money all i would do is buy a nice house, the actual house wouldn't be too important for me but having a large garden and big garage would be nice. Once i have that sorted i will spend the rest of my days doing stuff that i want to do like playing my guitar, sports and working on cars.

 

[Pengwuino]

How much money do you need to be satisfied? A thousand? Million? Billion? I've been thinking about all the super rich people in the world that are still making billions of dollars, why do they keep going? Don't they have enough money?

Most of that money is in stock, not cash. As long as they keep their stock, their wealth continues to grow as long as the company grows. If they did decide to start taking out that money however, in large portions, the company would start faultering and that woudl just be ... rude... oh and criminal.

I would take... $4 million... yah that sounds nice.

 

[Danger]

I've just revised my answer. I'll take $6,000,000 in 1972 dollars (I don't know the inflation factor) so I can build myself Lindsay Wagner.

 

[BobG]

I've just revised my answer. I'll take $6,000,000 in 1972 dollars (I don't know the inflation factor) so I can build myself Lindsay Wagner.

Wow!

Here I was thinking ... "I only need enough money to supply me a modest house, food, health care, plus enough extra to buy me a Jeep Wrangler (I've had enough of the more practical Cherokee), buy some slide rules, make myself feel good by dropping some money on one of my kids once in a while ... and then you had to go and bring up Lindsay Wagner.

I want $6,000,000, too!

 

[scott1]

Enogh money to buy gas everday without having to sue starbucks for making my coffe too hot

 

[WarrenPlatts]

Nobel and Templeton prizes are weak these days. You need at least $20,000,000 just to break even. Think about it. You need a ranch in Montana or Wyoming with at least a 1,000 acres. And a trust fund for as much fun as you can handle without ODing.

 

[Pengwuino]

Screw this, give me $2,000,000 and I'll toss it into GE or BofA and live off the $80,000 annual dividends.