wealth

Warren Buffet reportedly said that "wealth is the transfer of money from the impatient to the patient."

I prefer to think that wealth is the transfer of money from the stupid and optimistic to the scrupleless and the lucky.

Note: by "luck" I refer to the association of the entire set of conditions that one did not create for him/herself, such as inherited fortune or empire (corporate or otherwise), and having had fertile conditions (timing, location and connections) to cultivate one's ideas, because dedication, perseverance and effort alone are not reliable indicators of success.