The world’s population can be roughly sorted into eight levels of wealth. What changes isn’t just income—it’s what you’re free from, and what you’re free to do.
Level 1: Survivors (11%) — Freedom from almost nothing. You’re free to chase the next meal and clean water. Freedom to learn, connect, or plan beyond today is barely there.
Level 2: The Poor (30%) — Freedom from the street: you have a roof and water. You’re not free from fear—one shock wipes you out. No freedom to save, invest, or bet on a better education.
Level 3: Middle Class (37%) — Freedom from daily survival; freedom for small luxuries and choices. You’re not free from the paycheck—mortgages and debt keep you tied to the next month.
Level 4: Affluent (12%) — Freedom to move (reliable car), live somewhere safe, and save. You’re free to plan for retirement and invest, but big moves still need careful budgeting.
Level 5: Millionaires (6%) — Freedom from the paycheck. Free to run businesses, travel first class, and enjoy high-end comfort. Private jets are still a stretch—you feel the cost.
Level 6: Centi-Millionaires (0.2%) — Freedom from time and distance: jets, yachts, early retirement. Free to chase the next order of magnitude; the constraint is ambition, not money.
Level 7: Billionaires (~3,200) — Freedom from money as a constraint. Free to focus on power and influence—private islands, fleets, legacy. You could spend $54,000 every day for 50 years and still have millions left.
Level 8: The Elite (top 10) — Freedom to shape reality: industries, space, global policy. They don’t just buy things; they set the rules. They define what “the ceiling” even is.