You Live Like a God-King and Don’t Even Know It

Imagine telling a medieval emperor that one day, a commoner could press a button and speak face-to-face with someone on the other side of the world. That they could fly through the sky at 500 mph, sleep in climate-controlled comfort, and summon a feast from 50 cuisines without leaving their couch. That they’d hold a device in their hand more powerful than all the libraries, advisors, and maps in the world combined. You don’t need a crown to live better than any ruler in history — you just need to be alive today.

The Billionaire Paradox

Let’s take someone earning $100,000 a year. They can buy the latest iPhone. They can drive a BMW 4 Series. They can own a nice home with a smart thermostat and high-speed internet. They can wear an Apple Watch that tracks their heart rate and tells them when to stand up for better circulation. They can shop at Costco and grill ribeye steaks. They can go to Thailand or Yosemite for vacation. They can take a month off to hike, or learn photography, or build a business. They can buy a beautiful flat-screen TV, watch any movie ever made, listen to any song ever recorded, and FaceTime a friend in Japan for free.

Now take someone with a billion dollars. What phone can they buy that the $100k earner can’t? What TV? What steak? They can afford a private jet, sure, but the flight time is the same. Their phone doesn’t stream faster. Their ribeye doesn’t taste better. Their shower isn’t hotter. There are simply fewer and fewer things left that money can meaningfully improve.

That’s the paradox: beyond a certain point, money doesn’t buy better, just more. And “more” doesn’t always matter — in fact, more can often be worse. More can mean excess, clutter, distraction. It can breed anxiety, addiction, or the endless pursuit of novelty. It can mask a lack of meaning with a flood of dopamine hits. The pursuit of “more” can pull us away from the very things that bring real fulfillment: connection, purpose, peace.

Kings of the Past Had Nothing

Let’s rewind a thousand years. Kings had power, sure. But no anesthesia. No antibiotics. No central heating. No indoor plumbing. No refrigeration. No recorded music. No cars. No understanding of germs. No effective painkillers. No way to prevent or treat cancer. No video calls. No novels. No eyeglasses that worked well. No fresh fruit in winter. No takeout sushi. No jeans. No sneakers. No air travel. No cameras.

King Louis XIV, one of the richest men of his time, didn’t have a toilet. You do.

He didn’t have a way to get an MRI if he was sick. You do.

He couldn’t get Uber Eats. You can.

He couldn’t watch Netflix. You can.

He couldn’t listen to Beethoven on demand. You can.

You get the point.

We’ve Flattened the Luxury Curve

We’ve done something extraordinary in the last 150 years: we flattened the curve of luxury. The best things in life have become available things. Hot water. Safe childbirth. Ice cream. Clean water. Airbags. Spotify. Weather forecasts. Cloud backups. High thread count sheets. The human race has spent centuries slowly creating comfort, safety, health, and pleasure, and now it’s all here—mass-produced, miniaturized, and monetized for the average person.

You don’t need to be rich to experience what the rich do. A billionaire can stay at a five-star resort in Bali — and so can you, for a few thousand dollars. It might be expensive for you, but the experience? Nearly identical. They can afford it more easily, but they’re not getting something fundamentally better.

A sunset in Yosemite looks the same no matter how fat your bank account is.

The Big Realization

Here’s what it all adds up to:

You already live like the people your ancestors worshipped. Your daily life would seem like divine magic to any human born before 1900. You are healthy, warm, fed, entertained, mobile, and connected. You are a god in jeans.

Most people never realize this. Because we adapt. Because we take it all for granted. Because we’re too busy chasing the next upgrade to see that we’re already standing on a summit our ancestors could never imagine.

What To Do With This Knowledge

First, take a breath. Let this sink in. Look around your room. Feel the device in your hand. Think about the clean water that comes out of your tap. The phone that can answer any question instantly. The chair that supports your back. The walls that keep out the cold.

Then ask yourself: what are you really striving for?

It’s not that ambition is bad. But maybe it’s time to aim it at things money can’t improve. Purpose. Relationships. Creativity. Peace. Curiosity. Wonder. Legacy.

You live like a god. What will you do with your reign?