I would do the following:
- Take time out to learn programming and complete some online courses on machine learning etc.
- Deepen my knowledge of Physics and Statistics. Possibly, go through quantum mechanics again.
- Do more outdoor stuff and treks every week.
- Go running or workout every morning.
- Try to solve some interesting real life problems in education and healthcare. e.g., low cost diagnostics or teaching science to kids in rural areas.
Oh wait!
What does all this (except maybe point no. 5) have to do with having $1 billion?
Very little. And that is precisely the point. In our daily lives, we want to do things that we find meaningful and enjoyable. Why will that change when we have $1 billion? Yes, we can buy more things. But how much will you buy? What will you do after you have bought them? And we need enough money for core needs and a safety net, but you hit that level much much much before $1 billion.
Don’t get me wrong: it is not that money does not matter. It matters a hell lot when you are struggling to meet your basic needs. But soon after that other things start mattering more.
And the funny part is that when it comes to things that really matter, you can’t buy them even with $1 billion. Many years ago in Mumbai, one day I was doing an early morning run. I saw a familiar figure with sunglasses running on the road, along with a guy who looked like his bodyguard. It was Anil Ambani, who was preparing for the upcoming marathon. He was sweating and exerting himself just like all of us.
For health and fitness, a billionaire has to run just like anyone else. You can’t buy health. You can’t buy happiness. You can’t buy peace of mind.
Why should we remind ourselves of this? Because we go about our lives totally focused on becoming super-rich, even though many of the luxuries available to billionaires are right in front of us all the time.
So why don’t we live like a billionaire today?
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