Po Politickin

1. Work Longer: The average middle-class millionaire puts 70 hours a week into the job. They take 12 vacation days a year, seven fewer than the average middle-class worker.

2. Value Networking: More than 60% say knowing “many, many people” is very important in achieving financial success.

3. Take Risks: Over 90% of middle-class millionaires admit to having made a major career or business decision that had a bad outcome.

4. Avoid Vanilla Corporate Jobs: Over 80% own their own business or a has a stake in a partnership.

5. Do It For The Money: 74% say that choosing a career “for its potential financial rewards” is very important to achieving success.

6. Don’t See Themselves As Rich: Fully one-third of those worth $1 million to $10 million think of themselves as middle class (the other two-thirds consider themselves upper middle class). Meanwhile, 21% of middle-class people (making $50,000 to $80,000 annually) call themselves members of the upper middle class.

7. Put Family First Over Community: The values the mass affluent place the most importance on are ethics, responsibilities to loved ones, parenthood and children’s education.

8. Pay For Help: Half of them have hired personal or career coaches.

9. Put Family First In Vacation: Over 60% of middle-class millionaires say that spending time with family is an important component of a vacation. By contrast, only 28% of middle-class workers think so.


Prince, R, & Schiff, L (2008). The Middle-Class Millionaire: The Rise of the New Rich and How They are Changing America.New York: Doubleday Business.