I think the amount you need to live a comfortable "rich" lifestyle it heavily depends on the country that you live in. For example if you are in many European countries and invested your money wisely to receive a return on investment each year via owning company shares, you could work your way towards a 50k salary from having half a million without having to lift a finger. It might not be super rich territory but you could live care free on such a salary if you were able to get it tax free (via several government schemes that encourage savings such as ISA's in the UK). In America with all the risks I am not sure even $1 million would be enough to live comfortably for a whole life time - one bad hospital visit and they might try to drain your bank account dry.