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.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

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…”