The Ladder of Wealth

May 16, 2025

One night, bored of the Netflix options and chatting with ChatGPT, I discovered something profoundly eye-opening about money & wealth that I would like to share with you all.

But first….the pursuit of wealth is complicated.

It’s financial, it’s logistical, it’s about investments and business. It’s also a TON of mindset & nervous system work.

If that weren’t complicated enough, we live in a society that presents all the highlight reels of money with none of the behind-the-scenes. It sets us up for an endless chase leading to a wildly mismanaged idea of what wealth actually is.

Let’s imagine the pursuit of wealth like a ladder.

Here’s the traditional view:

Rung 1: Survival – Living paycheck to paycheck
Rung 2: Stability – Small savings, debt under control
Rung 3: Security – Steady income, 3-6 months emergency fund, debt low
Rung 4: Autonomy – Cash reserves 250k-1M, monthly surplus, assets in multiple buckets
Rung 5: Financial Independence – Work is optional, freedom to take risks, net worth $3m-$10m

But did you know there are more rungs? And the rungs that most people “see” and admire out in the media, are not even on this traditional ladder?

Here are the next two rungs… think about celebrities, billionaires, etc.

Rung 6: Pressure Zone – $10m plus. Tax strategy is full time, multiple entities, pressure to maintain, public visibility, LARGE fixed expenses
Rung 7: The Wealth Trap – $100m plus. Full time infrastructure to manage your life, constant scrutiny, pressure to protect, high stakes relationships everywhere, legacy obsession, paranoia with lawsuits

Even if we say “I don’t want need to be as wealthy as Warren Buffett. I’ll just settle for a couple million….” the persistent subconscious message fed to us everywhere is that celebrities, ultra wealthy tech bros and founders, investors, and legacy families have WON the game.

But it’s ALL wrong.

The people who win?

Are the people who understand that Rung 4 and 5 are the destination.

This is the pocket where you have the LEAST diminishing returns with the MOST peace and power… IF you stop here.

And I get it… some people are meant for a level of big and successful that are more than just dollar signs. Go for it!

But for the average person, they are regularly feeding on a diet of media that makes rung 6 and 7 look like the dream when they are not. They are the zone of golden handcuffs.

The place where debt, pressure, leverage, and stress mount in an effort to protect what you’ve built.

Rung 4 & 5 is where you want to sit.

I had this realization as I talked to ChatGPT about my insatiable need for safety that impacts all the decisions of my life.

I kept wondering “When will I feel safe enough?” I looked at others who are beyond me in financial means and thought — maybe when I arrive there?

Outside of my drive for safety, I can say I have ZERO sense of restlessness my life. I feel so much peace and contentment about where I am today materially. I don’t want more or better. I have blessings that are hard to comprehend even as it is.

The continual grind for money is motivated by the pervasive feeling of “But will it be enough for all the people who are in my care?” The drive for safety keeps me pushing even when I don’t have anything to spend it on yet except the wild worst case scenarios of having to fund my five Gen Z & Gen Alpha children in an AI-driven world that’s eaten all jobs.

I hoped that a conversation with Chat would set me straight or at least illuminate where my subconscious is running the show. And it did not disappoint.

It told me that I objectively had reached a pocket of true freedom that must be protected.

In other words, I can’t keep climbing. I hit rung 4. Scratched the surface of 5 before I got pummeled with financial loss due to divorce.

I can’t keep thinking there’s more safety on rung 6 or 7. There is not. It’s a ruse.

The pocket of wealth that you never want to leave is where you are: