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How to Know When You Don’t Need Your Wealth Psychologist Anymore

I learned that being super-rich means I really should be super-angry.

Cristo López, PhD
12 min readAug 5, 2020

It was late December 2019 while at a monthly sit-down with my wealth manager, when my world turned completely upside down. I remember it so very clearly.

Todd smiled broadly from across the desk as he slowly slid the financial report towards me. With trembling fingers, I turned the one-pager over and gasped. There it was — the NUMBER:

$30,001,051.17

The day I had waited so long for had finally arrived!

After years of meticulous investing, scrimping, and saving, I had managed to turn a pedestrian 7-figure inheritance into an amount ($30,000,000!) that earned me designation as an Ultra-High-Net-Worth-Individual (UHNWI).¹

Tears welled up. My heart rate quickened, and I choked back a little scream. I wanted to high-five someone, but it was just the two of us in the office, and my financial manager wasn’t that kind of guy.

Todd’s smiling face melted into an expression of understanding and sympathy. “Cristo, you’re reaction now is perfectly normal. Almost all of my clients experience a moment or two of unbridled joy when they’ve achieved this first stage of super-wealth. But…”

Cristo López, PhD
Cristo López, PhD

Written by Cristo López, PhD

Writing with an open heart | American living & writing full-time in Monterrey, Mexico |

Responses (3)

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Ok, this is sort of brilliant. I thought I was reading the rationalizations a preening narcissist: I'm filthy rich, but I want to be a better person, too! But no, Lopez gives us instead a timeless fable, wrapped in an elegant bait-and-switch, about the ageless lie that wealth brings us peace and happiness..

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THis is a really interesting story. I thought it was true up until the end. I was warmed by Cristo's reflection's towards the end, and was fascinated throughout. THank you.

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Such a thought-provoking story! It felt so wrong and disturbing till you made it feel right in the epilogue. Thank you Cristo!

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