There are tons of other people who call themselves "successful" for acquiring large piles of green paper, but what on earth is that good for?
Who knows how big Social Security benefits will be when we retire, and how high Medicare premiums, co-pays, and deductibles will be?
High net worth generally indicates that you have produced more than you have consumed and that you have been a net contributor to society. Once you have acquired wealth, investing it in the stock market makes you the part owner of businesses that produce consumer and capital goods and employ people. Municipal bond investment funds the construction and maintenance of public goods such as school and roads. Bill Gates has used his wealth to do many good works through the Gates Foundation, such as working to eradicate smallpox and funding the Khan Academy.
I think young people who focus on making money may do more good over their lifetimes than the idealists.
