Well I would have thought rich in 1973 would have been a no brainer. Not because of affording expensive things yada yada (ok thats a huge bonus too but not for me). But because having the (relative) wealth would mean having the luxury of choosing my job without having to worry about how the bills were being paid. Having the dough to invest in my passions (assuming one had them). Having the dough to invest in technology at the early stages! I mean yeah the internet is great now. But you could just as well ask, would you rather be rich now or middle class in 40 years time?