To be honest from my own experience and observation, income offers comfort but not actual freedom.  You can make a lot from a job yet still feel stuck because the moment that paycheck ceases so does your sense of stability. True wealth is clearly related to ownership whether it's assets investments or businesses that develop value over time and you’re right about value generation. If you're just transferring money about without producing anything worthwhile someone else is losing for you to gain. That type of riches isn’t sustainable. Real wealth promotes communities not just bank accounts