“If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed.”

Edmund Burke

The majority of self-made rich people are value-oriented. They know well the difference between show-off/status and the real value of things. They do not squander their money in extravagant parties or in luxurious items of no real value. They buy appreciable assets at cheap prices. Most wealthy people live well below their means, and buying luxury items on loan money is not an option for them. Depreciable items make up a very small part of their net wealth.