At the turn of the century, a friend, an India cricketer, shared a thought-provoking perspective with the author: "If you can make around eight and a half lakh rupees a year, you can be happy." This statement, equivalent to roughly 22 lakh rupees today, challenged the widely held belief that money cannot buy happiness.

Unveiling the Paradox of Wealth and Contentment

The Happiness Plateau: Kahneman's Groundbreaking Study

In 2010, the Nobel Prize-winning behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman led a renowned study that concluded happiness increases with income until it plateaus at $75,000 per year. Beyond this threshold, additional wealth did not necessarily translate to greater happiness. This finding challenged the conventional wisdom that the rich are always happy, while the less fortunate console themselves with the notion that money cannot buy happiness.

Contradictory Conclusions: Killingsworth's Opposing Findings

However, in 2021, a Wharton researcher, Matthew Killingsworth, presented contrasting findings. Killingsworth's research suggested that the positive connection between money and happiness "continues far up the economic ladder." This study seemed to contradict Kahneman's earlier conclusions, leaving researchers and the public alike grappling with the complex relationship between wealth and well-being.

The Nuanced Perspective: Kahneman and Killingsworth Reunite

Seeking to reconcile these divergent findings, Kahneman and Killingsworth collaborated in the following year. Their joint analysis revealed a more nuanced understanding of the money-happiness relationship. They found that for approximately 80% of people, happiness does indeed rise with income beyond the $75,000 threshold. However, for the remaining 20%, unhappiness decreases only up to around $100,000 (roughly equivalent to $75,000 today). This suggests that the impact of wealth on happiness is not universal, but rather dependent on individual temperament and personal circumstances.

The Happiness Gap: Widening Divide Between the Wealthy and the Middle-Class

Interestingly, the researchers also discovered that the "happiness gap" between wealthy and middle-income individuals was wider than the gap between middle and low-income groups. This finding challenges the notion that the rich are inherently happier than the middle class, highlighting the complex interplay of factors that influence an individual's sense of well-being.

The Comedian's Perspective: Spike Milligan's Witty Insight

The comedian Spike Milligan offered a witty perspective on the relationship between money and happiness, stating, "Money can't buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery." This observation underscores the idea that while wealth may not directly purchase happiness, it can alleviate certain forms of distress and discomfort.

The Poet's Invitation: Celebrating the "Life Left"

Recently, another cricketer introduced the author to a poem that explored the concept of "Celebration of life left." This intriguing notion raises the question of how much money is required to truly celebrate the life that remains. As the author notes, the search continues for an economist who can provide a definitive answer to this elusive query.In the end, the pursuit of happiness remains a complex and multifaceted endeavor, with wealth playing a nuanced role in an individual's overall well-being. The contradictory findings and diverse perspectives presented in this exploration serve as a reminder that the relationship between money and happiness is not a simple, one-size-fits-all equation, but rather a deeply personal and contextual experience.