It turns out being rich does make you happier, at least if you’re Bill Gates.
The Microsoft co-founder and billionaire made the revelation during a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) discussion on Monday.
When one Reddit user asked if Gates thought being wealthy had made him a happier person he said “Yes. I don’t have to think about health costs or college costs. Being free from worry about financial things is a real blessing.”
Gates is currently worth around $100 billion.
That said, Gates doesn’t think you necessarily need to be a billionaire to be happy. He went on to say that “Being free from worry about financial things is a real blessing. Of course, you don’t need a billion to get to that point. We do need to reduce the cost growth in these areas so they’re accessible to everyone.”
As for what makes Gates happy, he told “Redditors” during the AMA that “Some recently said that when your children are doing well it really is very special and as a parent, I completely agree. Sometimes following through on commitments to yourself like doing more exercise also improves your happiness.”
Gates also said that one thing he would still like to achieve but hasn’t is for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest private foundations in the world, to help kids have good health.
“The goal of the foundation is that all kids grow up healthy – no matter where they are born. That means getting rid of malaria and many of the other diseases that affect poor countries. It should be achievable in my lifetime,” he said.
And, as for “rich-guy things” that make him happy, Gates said that he sometimes uses a private jet, and he has a nice house with its own trampoline room.
That’s right, the man has a trampoline room in his house.
Gates said, it “seems kind of over the top but my kids love using it to work off their excess energy. I am not sure how guilty I should feel about being in a great house.”
