Silicon Valley, California, is home to 250,000 millionaires, a staggering number, indeed. But just what does it mean to be rich? This paper examines one of the most powerful forces in the universe: wealth. Merriam Webster defines wealth as all property that has a money value or exchangeable value. Most people think of wealth as cash.

Dinesh DeSouza points out that "being rich means being able to do, within reason, whatever you want" (19). In political scientist Andrew Hacker's book Money, it is estimated that to be rich, one needs a yearly income of at least one million dollars and a wealth of 10 million.

But, even rich people have their limitations. A rich person can fly first class but he cannot own a private jet. He can acquire season tickets to a ballgame but he cannot buy a sports team. A rich family can own two houses but they cannot...