Growing up, I usually thought that wealth meant happiness. I remember my childhood friends bragging about the latest gadget or vacation they went on, and I would think that with those things, I would be happy. As I grew older and began to understand the world better, I realized money can put up an appearance of happiness but often lacks fulfillment.
See the House of Saud, for example. They stay in palaces with art and luxury that most of us cannot comprehend. They afford to fly around the world in personal jets, owning the priciest yachts. And their private lives? The burden of maintaining such a large fortune brings on isolation and stress. Great wealth is great responsibility-not only to manage but also in ensuring smooth family dynamics and handling publicity with grace.
If I look back at my personal life regarding money, I remember spending lots of money on something that I felt would bring a certain type of satisfaction - new cars, great dinners. I got happy and thrilled at that very moment. Then I noticed that happiness was always temporary. True happiness, I have finally come to realize, stems from experiences and not material possessions.
For instance, a simple gathering with my friends over homemade Banga soup brings more joy to my heart than any amount of luxury can. This is not to discredit the desire to be financially free, but that the laughter shared and moments made during those times are simply priceless. And that’s something which makes me often wonder how many such moments the House of Saud has to sacrifice in order to gain their wealth.
In the long run, we really have to look at what gives meaning to our lives. To many people, it’s not how much one has, but how they use what they have. Philanthropy is one area where wealthy people can find purpose - using their resources to make a difference in other people’s lives can bring fulfillment that material goods cannot give.
As one example, if members of the House of Saud spent more on social causes or community development in Saudi Arabia and abroad, they might have a better return than mere personal luxury. Imagine these people being able to fix education or healthcare and transforming lives rather than just getting lots of stuff.
How about connections and meaningful relationships to valuable people? Is this not even worth more than money? Our lives make way more meaning by the kind of relationships we keep, not necessarily how much we have. I have had friends who rose from nothing to becoming people’s destiny helpers, because someone helped them, trained them or even recommended them to other people who changed their lives massively. I can boldly tell you that for me, even when the money was there, it was the people I knew in certain levels of my life that really gave me a lasting support, which then turned out to sustain my wealth.
Cultural views toward wealth also often greatly affect our understanding of true happiness. Success in many Western societies is measured by accomplishments in terms of money and goods, while in other cultures the bonds of community and the relationships within a family are much more important than monetary wealth.
The key is to realize that, though money may give one the means to enjoy life-to travel, to live in comfort, and to enjoy opportunities-it does not replace the need for love, friendship, and purpose. While the House of Saud may be the richest family in the world on paper, true wealth encompasses so much more than financial assets: emotional richness through relationships and meaningful contributions to society.
Let’s remember, as we reflect on this together, that more often than not, happiness does not lie in what we have but rather in whom we share our lives with and how we choose to spend our time on earth. Have you found joy in your possessions? Or has true happiness come from relationships and experiences? Let’s open up this conversation—share your thoughts and experiences here! What does wealth mean to you? How do you balance material desires with deeper connections?