Millionaire

A millionaire is an individual who resides in a household whose net worth or wealth exceeds one million units of any currency. It can also be a person who owns 1 million units of currency in one bank account or savings account. A multimillionaire has a net worth of more than two million units of currency and a hectomillionaire has a net worth of more than 100 million units of currency, but the technically incorrect centimillionaire (net worth of 10 thousand units, strictly speaking) is more often used to mean the same thing. While statistics regarding financial assets and net worth are presented by household, the term is also often used to describe only the individual who has amassed the assets as millionaire. That is, even though the term statistically refers only to households, common usage is often in reference only to an individual.

Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire, which makes that amount of wealth a goal for many. The status of millionaire, however, is no longer as exclusive as it once was. The increasing number of millionaires is partially due to inflation: a million United States Dollars, for example, provides far less purchasing power today than it did in the 19th century. Nevertheless, it still ensures a priveleged lifestyle for those becoming millionaires. American sociologist Leonard Beeghley classifies all households with net worths exceeding $1 million as "the rich."