Ray Dalio Says Chasing Wealth Without Purpose Is A Tragedy: 'Don't Make Money Itself The Goal'

Billionaire investor and Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio has issued a stark warning: don't confuse financial success with life success. In a short video posted to his YouTube channel, Dalio stressed that money should serve a purpose, not be the purpose.

What Happened: Dalio explained that while financial security is vital, "You want to have security for you and your family. You want to have choices"—it should never come at the expense of clarity about what is meaningful.

"There are people who get hung up on making money,z and they almost lose sight of the things themselves, and that’s a tragedy," he said. He encouraged viewers to clarify what "the best life possible" means to them first.

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Why It Matters: Dalio's comments offer a distinct perspective on hustle culture and wealth obsession. "If you have the best life possible and it’s some clarity as to what that is and you’re using money to help get there, that’s terrific… but don't make money itself the goal," he said.

Former Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Charlie Munger had previously shared a similar philosophy, saying in 2003, “Like Warren [Buffett], I had a considerable passion to get rich. Not because I wanted Ferraris – I wanted the independence. I desperately wanted it.”

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