I’m a multi-millionaire in my mid 30s but I feel like a failure after my girlfriend left – Should I have told her about the money?

They say that having money doesn’t buy happiness. That’s arguable, though.

The reality is that having money can indirectly buy happiness in a number of ways. It can allow you to live in a comfortable home, enjoy good food, and experience different things people without money can’t.

But the one thing money really can’t — or shouldn’t — buy you is love. The Beatles were onto something when they sang about that decades ago, and it’s a sentiment that holds true to this day.

In this Reddit post, though, we have someone in their mid-30s who’s managed to become a multi-millionaire. The problem? They’re not happy in life.

They feel like all they’ve been doing is working, and they don’t have many close friends. Worse yet, they’re bemoaning the loss of their ex-girlfriend, who left them 10 months ago.

The girlfriend apparently had no idea how well the poster was doing financially. And the poster can’t help but wonder whether the girlfriend would’ve jumped ship had she been aware of how much money he was actually making.

This line of thinking, however, is not going to serve the poster well. And if they think it was a mistake to not tell their ex about their wealth, they’re wrong.

Money should not spell the difference in a relationship

It’s important for couples to generally be on the same page about money — how to spend it, how to save it, and what extremes to go to in order to earn it. But money should not be the thing that makes a person stay with another in a romantic relationship. So the fact that the poster’s girlfriend left may be a good thing.

The last thing the poster, or anyone, needs is to be with someone who’s only in it for the money. So rather than be upset over not telling their ex about their wealth, the poster should look at the situation as having dodged a bullet. Now, they can seek out meaningful relationships with new partners.

It’s time to enjoy the money

The poster here is clearly burned out and missing out on key relationships. So it may be time for a reset.

The poster has a net worth of over $5 million. This gives them a prime opportunity to scale back on work and focus on enjoying life and building meaningful relationships with friends and a romantic partner alike.

What I would suggest the poster do is plant roots in a city they feel they can thrive in by renting a home for a year or two. They’ve been living between the U.S. and Europe, which is not really conducive to building relationships.

Once they pick a city as their new home base, they need to work fewer hours and make an effort to meet people. That could mean joining a club, a gym, or — yes — a dating site.

But the poster needs to be willing to put in the time on the social front. With a $5 million net worth, they no longer have to focus on building wealth, so they can do that. The poster can invest their existing assets, and chances are, in the next few decades, they’ll triple or quadruple their money without having to actively save any more.

In fact, the poster has the luxury of being able to earn enough to just cover their costs, or even not earn an income for a year or two. Most people don’t have that luxury, so they should take advantage.

Of course, it’s hard to go from working like a dog to working less, or not at all. If the poster feels iffy about that from a money-related standpoint, they should sit down with a financial advisor to discuss their options. But they should know that they have plenty of leeway to scale back on work and focus on getting to a place where they’re happier in life on a whole.

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