I don't agree with that at all. I think its demonstrable that money now is worth more than money later, and that the comparison is the most sharp when you don't have much of it on hand. Rich and upper middle class people invest money because the marginal value of money is much-decreased for them. Basically, people with more wealth are able to ascribe greater value to long term financial security, retirement, etc, than poorer people, who simply do not have the privilege of thinking that far ahead.