re: Who are the "Hidden Millionaires" in small towns

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Is there any truth to this. Outside the medical professions, I don't really see how this would work.

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There's a ton of truth to this. It usually refers to people with: A. successful small businesses, B. oil money, C. land wealth (ag, rental property, or timber), or D. a lucrative professional career.

Small towns often have people who aren't show-offs with their wealth. For example, one of my distant relatives lived in a modified trailer home on family land surrounded by his cousins, children, and grandchildren. He had worked his way up in the local chemical plants and now was in upper management at one. He was secretly worth millions, but he still lived a simple life. There are tons of people like that.

My wife's grandmother was one of the richest people in her town, but she lived in a very normal house and drove a regular used car, so few people knew about it. Her wealth was in rental properties, owning several buildings in the town's downtown.

Just because one has the money doesn't mean they need a gold-plated private jet, an expensive sports car, or a giant house. His house was all him and his wife needed since their children were all grown and had their own families and careers. His truck got him to and from work and the deer stand, so he didn't need a sports car. He contributed lots of money to the local church and schools, but never would put his name on it. There's only so much money a man needs, the rest is just for showing off.

I think our public schools do a very very bad job of explaining to children where wealth comes from. One can only earn so much money from their own time and labor. In order to become truly wealthy, one needs to earn money passively. True wealth is built from owning producing land, inventing something, or building a successful business that produces even when you're not in the office.

Most people my age think that the only ways to make money are to work jobs, and the only way to become rich is to somehow make it as a professional athlete or entertainer.