>>>Would I be happier if I was much richer? I don't think so. I'd have to hire a bunch of thugs - a legal thug, an accountant, perhaps some thug thugs as security, befriend some politicians, exactly the kind of people I'm not happy to be in the same room with. And I would probably be forced to change my lifestyle, which is a no-go. I've worked hard to get to this point, why would I throw it all away just to make all the good things in my life inaccessible again? I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid.
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>>but here I'd say the argument smells of sour grapes: pretty certain that up to three times no thugs are needed and accounting/tax prep cost hike would be no problem - assuming one of your programs sells to a larger audience than previously calculated. Change in lifestyle still up to you - I still drive a car I bought used (with an engine housing some additional horses for irrational fun factor), having more motor bikes would not hike the #km ridden more than 5%.
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>Up to a certain level, the lifestyle is up to you, but then you begin attracting attention, and that's what I just wouldn't like. Which is exactly why I'd prefer that my neighbors get more.
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>>For me the added options of having more money are not worth the hightened effort if I presume similar effort/compensation relation as I currently enjoy - in 40 years I am probably talking with the worms or too addled to mind the difference. The 40+H week seems less interesting nowadays - might do it for some interesting task but that itch has been scratched often enough.
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>True. I'm lucky that the work I get is interesting enough, and still not too cumbersome to become boring. I still get that little kick from solving a problem, and that's what keeps me going. The nice part of having just enough money is that you can step out of the rat race and stop thinking about it. Freedom from debt and not having to think how to survive to the next paycheck is a reward to itself.

Agreed again. I just want to do more than I am doing.

Yes, I am working on it. My inertia has passed.