I recently picked up The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom at the library. The book opens with what might seem like a trite message: money and happiness are not the same thing. The assumption that money alone leads to a fulfilling life is flawed, and chasing material things will never bring true happiness. Instead, other areas—like time with loved ones—matter just as much, if not more.
You might ask: If there's nothing new in his message, why bother reading or writing about it?
First, many of the stories and examples were new to me. Second, we need to be reminded again and again things that are important in life. Third, the author offers a valuable lens: he makes the intangible measurable. As the management guru Peter Drucker famously said, “What gets measured gets managed.” And that’s where Bloom’s framework becomes practical.
Sahil Bloom, now age 34, writes:
“I was born of an unlikely collision of two worlds. My mother, born and raised in Bangalore, India, and my father, an American born and raised in the Bronx, New York. The impact of growing up with a mix of cultures, religions, and beliefs was profound. My parents, sister, and family mean the world to me.”
I found this background revealing. While reading, I sensed a thread of Eastern wisdom in his ideas—such as his advice to seek guidance not from the richest people, but from the wisest. After learning more about his roots, I understood where that depth of perspective might come from.
In his conversations with others, Bloom invites people to try a simple exercise:
Close your eyes and imagine your ideal day at age 80.
What are you doing?
Who are you with?
Where are you?
How do you feel?
The responses he gathered were striking. Across all ages, professions, and economic backgrounds, people described almost exactly the same things. Their ideal day typically included: spending time with loved ones, doing meaningful work that contributes to their growth, and feeling physically and mentally well.
From these conversations, Bloom discovers four recurring values:
Time, Relationships, Purpose, and Health.
These, he says, make up four of the five types of wealth in life.
And the fifth? Financial wealth? But here’s the most surprising part: Not a single person mentioned money when imagining their ideal day.
The Five Types of Wealth
Time Wealth how you spend your time, who you spend it with, and where you spend it.
Social Wealth your connections to others.
Mental Wealth this provides purpose and meaning and determines your decisions.
Physical Wealth your health, fitness, and vitality.
Financial Wealth your net worth.
Bloom’s core message is that we need to look at life as a whole, not chasing one at the cost of others. After all, you can chase money for decades and never feel wealthy. But if you wake up one morning and see meanings in what you are doing, surrounded by people you love, with energy in your body and peace in your mind—that’s a true wealth.
To be continued...