But quality of life has nothing to do with richness. The quality of life for Joe Schmoe making 26k a year beats that of some of the ancient pharaohs with his AC, fridge, microwave, running water, indoor plumbing, instant hot water, and beat up 12 year old Camry. They were still “richer” than him.

(Some Roman rulers did have “AC” though:

Attempts to control indoor temperatures began in ancient Rome, where wealthy citizens took advantage of the remarkable aqueduct system to circulate cool water through the walls of their homes. The emperor Elagabalus took things a step further in the third century, building a mountain of snow—imported from the mountains via donkey trains—in the garden next to his villa to keep cool during the summer. [0])

0: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2011/07/a_hist...