I’ve been reflecting on this lately. If you suddenly had $100 million with no more financial worry and total freedom, would you truly become a different person? Or would it just magnify the same traits, choices, and habits you already have?
Some people say money changes people. Others say it just reveals who they always were.
I’m curious what you think. In your own case, would $100M actually change who you are deep down? Or just give you a bigger lever to move things around?
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A while back I read this research paper on the topic. They had people play monopoly. In the control group, it was normal monopoly. In the test group, they altered the rules to dramatically favor one player. In the control group, people behaved normally. In the test group, the highly privileged people who had the game weighted heavily in their favor became less sportsmanlike the greater their advantage grew and became outright jerks a lot of the time. They were given snacks to share and the privileged ones even hogged the snacks more.
These people had no long term success to speak of. All they had was winning a game. It was made very clear to them that their success came from a rigged system, not any action by them. Despite all that, they acted superior and more selfish.
If that’s all it takes to turn someone into an asshole, imagine what $100M would do.
Honestly, no it really wouldn’t. I just don’t have the lifestyle r ambitions for extravagant living. I might get myself a nice home but it would not be excessive. It would have better art storage. Given my hobbies are painting, reading books, my pets, and walking, I just don’t see myself needing lavish lifestyles.
I once did the math and if I wanted to get everything I currently am missing, such as books and more 4 by 4 foot canvases I might spend no more than $8,000 to 10,000. That would also include absolutely all my cloths being replaced. The reason it would be so expensive is that some books, as of writing this and referencing Amazon, are absurdly expensive. So I could never justify that purchase. But for your argument’s sake, and I would need to spend it, that would be the most I would get. Regarding the canvases, only because I still have plans for a few series that will require a few canvases.
The closest to change in lifestyle would be I would just become a full time artists. Maybe spend more time making my annual Easter egg art bigger or more expansive. Other than that, I just don’t see what all the extra money would get me besides unwanted attention from people. So I would keep it a secret anyways.
And for those curious, check my post history for my art and Easter eggs.
Whenever I play the mental game of “if I won the lottery” it just shows me how controlling I am. I think “I’d give a million to my sister… But wait, she might piss it away on some boyfriend… So I’d give her a million but put it in a trust …. But she might sell that trust to some scammer… So I’d have to just give her a little at a time.
I dont think i would change. Mainly because I dont really have a desire for most things. Even things that I think of buying just sits in the cart for ages until I delete it. I’ll probably spend the money on other people more than myself. Most expensive thing I’ll get (besides an average house/college) is like a viola or something. Or maybe just buying more clothes so I can actually wear styles i think about but even then it wouldn’t be some expensive brand.
100M would allow me to just kinda live lavishly while others take care of my wants/needs. I am pretty sure I would still be very nice and pay really well.
On the other side of this I retired early with a fixed income (disability) and come away with around 4K a month, nothing crazy but enough (I can’t work). I think this revealed myself more because I don’t care as much since I don’t need anything from people. If you are a negative person constantly I just stop hanging out with you cause I don’t want/need that in my life. I consolidate those that are kind and positive. Also don’t mind telling arrogant pricks (mainly rich, powerful, and use to getting their way) to fuck off (or just ignore them, they get very mad/confused). I wouldn’t risk this sort of thing as opening otherwise.
Im a frugal individual, im interested in ethics and doing the right thing, i was poor most of my life, i always wanted a dodge viper, my disability claim was finalized several yrs later, i got a huge amount, i decided i was fine being frugal and that the animals could use the $$ more than i ever could, so im using most of it to help animals
I still have a similar lifestyle, i cook most of my meals, i buy plain clothes, etc; I can afford to do a lot of things that i could before, but i just feel its my ethical duty to help the animals as they are the only real victim in this world, our species is the villain
With that being said most people are greedy and selfish, most want power, fame, popularity, recognition, etc;
I dont, i keep my donations anonymous and even though i have a director level status at a non profit i volunteer at, i just say im a normal volunteer
It amplifies, thats the change. Everyone rubbing against each other wears the edges of ourselves down. We then have time to integrate more and think deeply.
Yes, I would change. How…not sure. But not having any financial worries, and knowing that I’ve set up my family for generational wealth would allow a lot of mental freedom. Lots more vacation/travel
I don’t think I would change all that much, now. But I’m closing in on 40, living a fairly comfortable life. If I suddenly got $100M when I was young, I would probably be an asshole.
It’s difficult for most people to recognize their own good fortune (read: privilege). If it’s bad, they were unlucky. If it’s good, it’s because they’re brilliant.
$100 mill would be some good fuck you money, you get to swing your dick at other “rich” people who dress in Armani (or whatever) whilst I’m rocking Kmart shirts, jorts and thongs (flip flops).
I don’t think it would change my attitudes too much, but I would indulge my hobbies a lot more.
My kids would still go to the same school, I’d live in the same area but a bigger house (with a sea view natch). I’d travel more, which helps broaden the mind, I’d probably have staff (housekeeping, chef but only for dinner, personal trainer) but those roles wouldn’t be residential.
And I’d set up a charity with a STEM focus at grassroots level.
IMO, money is like booze. Doesn’t fundamentally change you; it just reveals the deepest aspects of your true self.
The mean drunk is not necessarily evil, but they have a dark side that they can conceal while sober. The rich prick is not necessarily evil, but there was a nastiness deep down that they had learned to hide because they literally could not afford to let it show.
Yes. It woukd change me.
I would be less stressed and sleep more. I would be a more patient parent and wouldn’t need to worry as much. I could spend more time with my family members (kids and SO).
We would upgrade our house to be a little bigger and hire cleaning services biweekly, pay of our car, I’ll have more time to paint, and in general, be more happy I believe. If like to think we would still keep ourselves grounded. Other than those things, I’ve never cared too much about money itself.
For me, I’d actually probably work more. Being able to not just be a passive observer in technologies like the Internet, Blockchain, AI, but able to hire a team of 10-20 engineers to bring my ideas to a proof of concept and shop around for funding? That sounds like a fun way to go through life, actually participating in the advancement of society by making top level decisions, and not being a cog in the wheel.
It wouldn’t change me.
I would just move things around in my life.
I would live in a more comfortable situation.
I would have no debt.
I would upgrade my gaming station.
I wouldn’t work as hard as I do and neither would my family but we would still be intelligent about it.
It wouldn’t reveal anything new about myself that I already didn’t know.
If someone wants to give me $100M so I can find out that would be great though.
I’d have a lot more time to do the things that I love- so writing, playing football, video game design, travel- to name a few. I think that spending more time doing the things I love would reduce the regret and guilt I currently feel for now dedicating enough time to these things. I currently play football 4 times a week, but because of that I’m unable to write or do game design. When i travel I try to write but then I end up not actually experiencing the places im going to enough. All of it leads me to feeling guilty and sad. Like im running out of time.
If i have 100m, this would stop being a problem, I’d have the time and energy to engage in my hobbies more fully and be able to be creative whenever it strikes me (right now it normally strikes me in the middle of the day, while im at work)
So i think it would change me fairly significantly yeah.
Inherently, no. I would not change. I still have a lot of love AND malice in my heart. The money would help me help who I want to and destroy who I want to. That’s all I’d do with it probably. Save about 10 million to live off of and I’m good. Also, I wouldn’t tell anyone I have it. Everyone thinks I’m poor and I like to keep it that way. Quick way to vet people that are coming into my life at any capacity.
I would say, very optimistic, that only about 1% of the human population has the ability to remain the same after going from poor to 100 millions. Sadly, most of these people will be psychopaths.
I think it would amplify who we are as people. if came into 100 mil, my husband would want to spend a lot of it and I would insist on investing most of it and living off the dividends. investing 50 mil would give you 1.6 mil in income each year. of that, a good chunk would be donated to reduce tax liability too.
I don’t think getting a lot of money changes who you are fundamentally. my husband is a “see money, spend money” type, as he never really was on his own financially (his parents paid for everything for him before we got married). I had been financially dependent for 8 years before we were married, even having lived off a budget of $4 per day for food.
I would worry more about my child tbh, and how having a lot of family money would shape his understanding of money and saving/spending tendencies.
$1 million probably wouldn’t change my wife and I’s lives all that much. It would give us a security blanket and allow us to retire earlier than planned. $100 million is a different story. We could both quit our jobs, travel frequently, put our daughter in the best schools, volunteer, maybe start a small business we actually care about.
Idk how anyone wouldn’t change some. The whole fairy tale of maintaining some lower class values of nobility when showered with wealth is hilarious. You’d have to takenur friends and family along amd then u’d get pissed because there’d be a few Ingrates. You’d start meeting ither people with huge money who think amd approach life differently and you would too. Just stop the non sense, enjoy the ride and ur new friends.
I want to say I’d be better, that I would use that money to help people. But realistically it would only make the downward spiral plummet all the faster. I’d self destruct for sure.
The only thing it would change about me is not working anymore and moving to somewhere I actually want to live. I am not a material person and I live pretty minimally. I have no desire to go buy a fancy car/house/boat/etc. I would just have a better quality of life.
I would be very quiet about my wealth.
I already just work part time, and love the job so I will continue but work way less and it’s sustainable with my mortgage fully paid but I will buy a bigger house, employ full time cat nanny to travel alot more.
And I would enjoy being able to give 1 mil each to my parents and my brother. I will be willing to give what my brother needs to work less. (My parents are gamblers and will probably lose the 1 mil each in one week, but it’s a gift, they get no more after that. Heard of multi millionaires losing 50millions at casinos so it doesn’t matter how much they get, they will donate it to the casino)
If my brother don’t gotta work so hard, he will have more free time too. We are best friends and like hanging out.
I don’t feel like wealth will change me much except I probably don’t need a man to foot my bill ever again and will be happy to be provider.
I never cared for branded things or jewelery so nothing will change. I will probably still wear the cheapest clothes I can find.
But I love gourmet food so visiting Michelin restaurants around the world would be awesome.
It would eviscerate my anxiety and depression overnight. Though my depression would probably return at times because then, I’d be worrying if people only want to be around me because of my newfound wealth. So you trade your current set of worries and problems for others.
I’d imagine it varies a lot based on who you are. I don’t think $100 million would change me. If anything I’d be less stressed out and more relaxed with all my money cares gone forever. It helps that I’m not an extravagant person; I would still live in the same small house I bought, I’d just be able to pay to get my basement redone and a few other projects completed that I’m planning on doing myself.
I’ve had the experience of hanging out with people who have lots of money and seen how they act and talk about people who don’t have the same lifestyle and wealth-focused aims. I very much do NOT want to be one of those people.
So there are three types of people who end up with outrageously large sums of money.
People who build a business, who know their trade, who work every day, and money is a byproduct of that. Money doesn’t really change them all that much, just makes them more of who they are. They are often called New Money. Their goal in life is to work, trade, and use money to gain more money as it is success.
People who were born into money. They consider money just another thing, like water, or clothing. It is something they don’t really talk about. But they often are so ingrained in it, that they don’t notice their affluence. In many ways, their thoughts on the matter are instilled at birth, so more or less money doesn’t change that. Unless they become destitute, then they believe that life is unfair. They are called Old Money.
Then you have people who don’t do anything in particular and gain a large sum of money. They win the lottery, gain a massive settlement, etc. These people will absolutely change their lives, as money has been extremely important to them their entire lives, but they have neither the tools, or discipline to correctly apply the money. They are called Dumb Money. They change with money, usually for the worse.
Then there are the theoretical Dumb Money people that never change. They gain large sums, and continue to live like they never had it before – We call those people Forrest Gump.
In reality, Money is just a tool like anything else, If someone gave you a bulldozer and a 1 hour training, and told you that you can do whatever you want with it. New money would use it to grow, Old money would know what it for and use it. Dumb money would probably try to do sick tricks with it, and Forrest Gump would ignore it.
I remember reading Matthew Perry’s Autobiography where he is discussing his sudden fame and fortune, and he said “you can only spend so long sitting on your ass playing xbox before you get lonely and bored” paraphrased I’m sure. for most people this is true. In a capitalist society Money is there to trade for time, experience, and cooperation. And for most people, who suddenly gain money. They don’t have the skillset to know what to do with a sudden wealth of time, they don’t have the ability to properly judge experience, and they don’t have the people skills to understand cooperation. Which is why most blow it quickly, or become secluded and rightfully paranoid.
Just about everyone says if they won a bunch of money they’d finally to be able to do whatever they want so I assume it just magnifies personalities at least to begin with in those cases. I do think it’s different if someone worked for it or at least could be different. I can imagine change happening organically as the wealth accumulates and the social circles change much more easily than a person just being handed a bunch of money.
Oh it would definitely change my outlook on things. As if right now I’m in the chasing wealth stage, I’m broke I don’t make more than 25k a year and go to school with loans
I push myself to succeed because I know the stakes if I fail
But if the failure was just a small fraction of my wealth, I can afford to do anything I wanted, go anywhere I wanted and take care of my family, that stress to push goes away.
To be honest I work hard now to be lazy later, and if I could just be lazy now. Hire a nutritionist, an accountant, a secretary, and a home and not worry about anything after, I would be a different person. Far less stressed, more adventurous
Well, how different?
Obviously you wouldn’t just put that in an account and never use it, so you would change in that you’d be a person who eats out more, buys nicer things more often. So that’s that.
Of course money changes people. EVERYTHING changes people. Making a new friend. Getting a new job. Reading a book. Everything.
It is a fact that power corrupts people, and $100M is more power than $0M. Yes, it could change you.
Totally disagree with the statement of having no more financial worry! You would have people coming out the the woodwork demanding some/all of it because.
Money just gives you the capability to own stuff. If it were by a lottery system, then you would not be prepared and you would suffer, guaranteed.
Making it means you accumulate it dollar by dollar/pound by pound and learn to deal with the attention and the ensuing greed.
So to answer your question, I would change by having $100mil. I would become a recluse as I would be tormented by those that believe that I shouldn’t have it.
Total change of life. I’m 58 now so I’ve lived long enough to not fall for the common mistakes of new money but with that much money you would encounter all types of things you never knew existed.
I would do sooooo much philanthropy. I’d obviously set aside enough to never have to work again (about 10 million) but I’d use most of it to help people in need. Probably start volunteeering during the time I’m usually working.
I’ve told people before that the only thing keeping my narcissist at bay is being broke. I’d become the most insufferable and arrogant person around.
I’d immediately cut off almost everyone in my life.
I would change drastically, I don’t need anywhere near that kind of money. I need maybe $750 000 to pay for everything and have enough money to retire.
I would however buy a decent sized farm, build dorms or some sort of housing on the farm and help people that are financially struggling. They could live on the farm, grow food, farm with animals and sell the produce.
I would want to help as many people get some sort of a start in life.
I would change completely, because the main stressors of my life (work and poverty) would completely disappear.
I would become a kinder, calmer, less anxious person.
People tend to exploit the advantage they have over other people. The bigger the advantage, the more likely they are to exploit it. Similar to the Stanford Prisoner Experiment. Put someone in power and they flex that power.
Money is a huge advantage and $100 million is an ENORMOUS amount of money. 1% of that is life changing for almost anyone on earth. Hell, even 0.1% would be life changing for most people. It will change how they look at everything in their life. And that will in turn change how they react to everything in life
Would amplify my leverage.
I’ve always been smart with money and kinda frugal since very little. It’s almost natural. I would be less career oriented than right now tho. And probably move to a less stressed job or take a few months off or go back to school.
I always ponder this. My wife and i would like just $1m to buy our forever home.
If we had more we would help out my stepsons first, 34,32.
As for having $100m It would not change us as we would rather help family and very very close friends.
My wife and I have grown up on struggle street, it’s only been the last 20yrs for me and 10 for my 2nd Wife that we are able to enjoy our way of life. Which is simple with some extragavance to enjoy occasionally.
My lifestyle would change DRASTICALLY. Mostly because I would travel more and buy/build an estate with multiple houses for my friends to live in. That way we could all be close and they wouldn’t have to worry about those expenses. I would take them on multiple trips every year. My personality wouldn’t change much. I’d just have the ability to do all the things I’ve wanted to.
It wouldn’t change me one bit. I’ve had money. I’ve had no money. Had it again, lost it again. I know how it feels both ways. So if I had a hundred mill, only thing I’d change about myself is the amount of spending I do. Besides that, I’d still be the same old dude.
I think it would change many people (I will include myself in that even though my brain says I wouldn’t change).
The money doesn’t change a person. Instead it’s the lifestyle and expectations. For example, you start to lose perspective on the struggles of others when you don’t need to think twice about that purchase, car repair, or home repair. If you end up in a wealthier neighborhood your peers change, which can influence how you look at life. You may have people asking you for money a lot more, which could either create an issue of trying to protect your funds or the opposite (giving too much).
It may not change the essence of who you are, but I do think it would change how you operate in the world. And that partly defines who someone is.
I don’t have any “leverage” in the first place so I’d be suspicious of anybody who started treating me any differently if I had $100 million or even $100.
Less stress, more sleep. Would it fundamentally change my core values or ambitions? No, certainly not. But money gives freedoms: from job, from financial stress, deadlines, chores, grocery shopping etc.
>Some people say money changes people. Others say it just reveals who they always were.
No that makes no sense, I know plenty of poor folks that are insufferable and just assholes to the core. Money would just give them more freedom to be more unpleasant.
At a certain amount of money, the wealthier you are the less guard rails exist to keep you from going of a cliff.
You’d basically loose friends and family for not giving them money for their “investment” opportunity.
I just don’t buy the narrative of the normal millionaire.
There’s a classic reddit post of “congratulations you’ve won the lottery, now you’re fucked” which goes into great detail about the grim realities of the scenario. The best I can find is this but given that it is in r/copypasta I can only assume it’s not the original.
It would not change who you are deep down. It would amplify what you already are. If someone claimed to be nice, warming, and helpful and supposedly turned sour after obtaining infinite wealth, they were faking it the whole time because they had to suck up to obtain power.
I don’t think it would change me much.
While currently making solidly middle class salaries, my wife and I already make heavy use of donation matching to have a $10k per year donation impact. If I had $100M, I would be investing in potentially world-changing technologies with little interest in additional financial rewards. I’d probably set up a foundation to reap those rewards and use the money for even more positive impact.
The education of all of my friends’ and family’s kids would be paid for. I’d probably sponsor scholarships for impressive teens who can’t afford university.
All I really care about for myself is a decent house and lots of time for travel, especially bikepacking. There’s also a decent chance my board game collection would quickly get out of hand…
This happened to me. Right after COVID we were struggle to pay for daycare and tutors. I started pulling money out of 401k penalty free to cover the costs. Daycare spiked 40% so I said it’s time. I went to the bank and extracted a hard drive wallet from safe deposit box. I had purchased bitcoin back in 2012-2014. A lot. I sold 90% of it and after taxes had a net worth of $180M. I did an AMA on it when it happened.
Our life has not changed drastically. We just have no debt. Kids are financially set for life. We still live in the same house we built in 2018. Mainly because our kids have a huge friend group in the neighborhood.
We’ve done vacations with the kids and paid for a nanny to come along and help. This helps mom and dad have a date night while on vacation.
We can’t spend what we earn from our investments. I’m still a professor. My wife started a non-profit to help kids In our local area.
My political views haven’t changed. I’m still strong left leaning. I understand I am lucky. That’s all it was. Just luck.
It will change u it’s impossible for it not to it can even hurt you be careful most ppl who win the lottery die or blow it and have problems it dosent have to drastically change u but there will undoubtedly be changes