What the Heck is Sudden Wealth Syndrome?

The term “Sudden Wealth Syndrome” (SWS) was coined by Dr. Stephen Golbart and Joan Di Furia in the late 1990’s to describe symptoms they saw in dot.net entrepreneurs and lottery winners coming into large wealth in their California clientele. They set up the Money, Meaning & Choices Institute to explore the opportunities and challenges of having money.

According to the Institute’s website you may have Sudden Wealth Syndrome if you have at least three of the following symptoms:

• Increased anxiety;
• Intrusive and inappropriate thoughts about money;
• Anxiety and depression cycles about the stock market volatility;
• Sleep disorders;
• Irritableness;
• Guilt about having money;
• Confusion about their identity;
• Strong fear of loss of control;
• Paranoid thinking about being exploited;
• Increased depression;

and, if you have $10 million to a billion or more, the good folks at the Money, Meaning & Choices Institute will be happy to help you get over the syndrome.