5 Surprising Beliefs Rich People Share

Money doesn’t make worries go away. In fact, folks who are rich share a few anxieties that might keep them up at night.

Recently, Chubb — the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company — asked high-net-worth individuals to share some of their personal beliefs as well as their concerns about money.

The survey included 800 high-net-worth individuals in the U.S. and Canada. All respondents had investable assets of at least $500,000. The majority reported assets of between $1.5 million to $25 million, while 10% had assets of more than $50 million.

Here are the surprising beliefs that rich people share.

They like working

A large percentage of rich people earned their wealth by working hard. The Chubb survey found that 40% of respondents were “self-made” and built their own wealth from scratch, while 25% had inherited their wealth. And the remaining 35% got rich from a combination of hard work and inheriting money.

But the rich typically do not see work as drudgery. Today, 83% of these folks still work, despite their wealth. Nearly one-third said they would prefer never to retire.

They view their homes primarily as an investment

The rich are a lot like everyone else when it comes to their homes: A large percentage view their homes as a source of “comfort, security and family,” according to Chubb.

However, the largest percentage — 62% — primarily view their home as an investment first. The average value of a primary home for these respondents is a cool $6 million, and 46% own more than one home.

They think it’s tougher to get rich today

Many Americans believe that in recent years, it has become more difficult to grow wealthy. As it turns out, the rich agree.

Two-thirds — 66% — believe building wealth is “more challenging than ever before.” Rich people worry about how economic instability, health care, artificial intelligence and climate change will undermine efforts to grow wealthy and to stay that way.

In particular, 62% worry about how economic instability will impact their own wealth.

Even if getting rich is arguably more challenging today, it’s not impossible. For tips on building wealth, check out “10 Guaranteed Ways to Retire Rich.”

They do not consider themselves wealthy

Incredible as it likely sounds to many, a large percentage of folks with a high net worth simply do not feel rich.

A startling 68% do not consider themselves to be wealthy. That includes many people with investable assets of more than $10 million, according to Chubb.

They worry about climate change hitting home

Rich Americans believe climate change represents the biggest threat to their homes.

A full three-quarters of high-net-worth individuals say exposure to extreme weather triggered by climate change represents the greatest threat to the homes that they own.

If you want to join the world of the rich, check out the “7 Ways to Finish the Year Richer.”