Paul Sullivan writes the Wealth Matters column for The New York Times and is the author of The Thin Green Line: The Money Secrets of The Super Wealthy. In his book, he discusses the important difference between being rich and being wealthy. Hint: One means that you have a lot of money, the other means that you have control over your financial life. Paul grew up in a working-class family but won a scholarship to attend an elite boarding school, an experience that changed his life. After earning degrees at Trinity College and University of Chicago, he began a journalism career, reporting for Bloomberg, The Financial Times, and other top publications. In this conversation, Paul shares how his experience growing up in a cash-strapped home both drove his fascination with people of means and molded his personal financial values. Through his reporting on and interaction with the wealthy, Paul has garnered insights into their hopes, dreams, and anxieties. He understands their spending, saving, and investing habits. He knows how they work, play, and parent in the hopes that their children will grow up to be motivated and hard-working.  His latest book was called “...welcome antidote to the idea that wealth is a number on a bank statement” and it is far more interesting and readable than the other 99% of personal finance books out there. Most importantly, it will help you identify what kind of a earner and spender you are, and help you find a path to the good side of The Thin Green Line. Oh I almost forgot, Paul also writes the Money Game column for Golf Magazine. So you should check that out too.  

Paul lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with his family. Learn more about him on https://pauljsullivan.com/. 

For books by authors who have appeared on the show, shop the Crazy Money list on Bookshop.org. (CM gets a small commission.) Read Paul O’s latest essay, Your Only Goal is to Arrive: To Survive the Quarantine, Change Your Metrics on Medium:Forge. Sign up for Paul Ollinger ’s newsletter on his website and/or follow him on the socials: • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/