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Ask somebody how much money he need and the answer will be "two times more than today" regardless of their social status. Poor and rich share same problems.

These days words "financial crisis" may be found in every headline in every newspaper in the world. We are living in a global society so any type of crisis spreads around like a tsunami. Financial crisis is not good. Poor people become poorer and wealth less wealthy. Those with earnings enough just to pay a mortgage for a house are in deep trouble. If you can't pay, you're out. If you have a car that's too big, you won't drive it anymore. If you spend on gas too much, you won't be driving anymore.

poor and rich in debt

It seems that there's never enough money; there is always something missing, be it a bigger car or smaller MP3 player. But, what amazes me most is that wealthy people, and I'm talking about millionaires and billionaires, have exactly the same problem. There's not enough money in their pockets. I don't want to be a conscience of society and to moralize too much, it's just stunning how people suffer without any reason.

If you look at the ordinary people (all men are equal, so I use "ordinary" for those that don't have millions on their bank account), you will see that they have few common worries. First, they must have a roof above their heads. Second, they want to live a decent life. Third, or first for some of them, is rising the children and paying for their school and college. That noble goal is very compromised when you loose the house.

poor and rich in debt

Now, consider those lucky ones that have a million dollars. They have no problems with home, car, health care or choosing the place for vacation. Unfortunately, this is not true. The house may always be bigger, the car faster and beach warmer. It they want more wishes than money they will borrow some. Money, not wishes. OK, says you, the solution is to earn more. OK, says me, consider those with more than ten millions a year.

They drive Jaguar not Toyota (apologize to Toyota, those are good cars), have their own plane, and they have bigger house that those from previous group. But, we have some problems here. You know, Bentley is better that Jaguar, business partners have bigger planes. And homes, too. So, the unhappy ones will borrow. OK, says you, if you make hundreds of millions a year then you have no problems, right? OK, says me, let's take a look at those richer folks.

poor and rich in debt

They have Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini, they buy private jets that cost more than one million, and they have a house with 26 bathrooms. They have no doctors (concierge doctors are for them), they don't visit sand beach (private clubs are the place to go), they don't talk to their children (they have servants to do that). But we have some problems here. You know, there are people that makes billions. And every day there are more and more of them. You guess that those with hundreds of million want the same stuff as billionaires but they can't afford. Thus, they borrow.

poor and rich in debt

We may see how people from less wealthier group try to catch those above them. The result is that even millionaires are in debt. It seems that safe margin is somewhere above one billion dollars. That is the limit after which you must be stupid to be in debt. Although John Doe and Mr. Millionaire have different worries in life they are connected with the same problem: They have not enough money. And that shows us clearly that we are more equal than different. There is no need to envy the rich one, and there is no need to laugh at "ordinary people". The problems are the same, because millionaire can loose its house and end up in the street, too.

Is there a solution to that? I don't think so. It is in human nature to want more. Ask somebody how much money he need and the answer will be "two time more than today" regardless of their social status. Homo sapiens survived millions of year because it has an ability to adapt, be it a new type of food or new type of Bentley. And when Homo adapts, he wants more. As I see things, there is only one way out. Be a billionaire. I know I will be.

April 25, 2008

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