Is Money Hoarding A Debilitating Mental Illness?

Past a certain, fairly modest amount, collecting more money serves no actual purpose. It will not increase your ability to survive, and may actually impede it. The super rich still get sick, and they still die. Just like the rest of us.

Then what is all the cash for? If it serves no purpose over a certain threshold due to diminishing returns, what is the drive that feeds this illness that is spreading like a cat hoarder's kittens?

2011 broke records, reports Forbes Magazine, for the number of billionaires. 1210 individuals were diagnosed this year with an extreme form of cash hoarding. Mental health experts should be looking into this before we are all affected by the fallout of this debilitating mental illness.

World's Biggest Hoarders of Cash

1. Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico
2. Bill Gates, USA
3. Warren Buffett, USA
4. Bernard Arnault, France
5. Larry Ellison, USA

Collectively these patients have hoarded 261 Billion dollars. That is enough cash to stuff the average bungalow to the ceilings with filthy lucre.

These individuals are often resistant to treatment, and should be closely monitored.