I struggled to make and keep friends as a millionaire. Now, I can only connect with other wealthy people.

"I grew up in a modest household in Hawaii - first-gen, middle class. We were the kind of family where you're taught to save every penny and keep your head down. The kind where we never ordered soda on the rare occasion we actually went to a restaurant. I followed those values into adulthood. I earned an engineering degree, landed a W-2 job, lived frugally, and saved hard."

"But when my net worth grew into seven figures, it became even more difficult to connect with the few people who were still in my life. I was suddenly different. I felt like a ghost in my own life. I'd built financial traction, but I was a lone wolf. Everyone I knew was still on the 401(k) escalator. My coworkers didn't understand things I found important."

"I stopped talking about my goals because it sounded like I was bragging. Plus, still being frugal at the time, I didn't want any excuse for me to have to pick up the bill all the time for my buddies. That was back in 2015. I then met people of a similar wealth bracket The turning point came in 2016 when I joined a real estate mastermind, which is a group of investors who come together to connect."

A first-generation, middle-class upbringing instilled strong frugality and saving habits. An engineering career and disciplined investment in rental properties produced seven-figure net worth by the mid-2010s. Rapid financial progress created social distance from longtime friends and coworkers who prioritized different financial decisions and saw wealth-related topics as bragging. Continued frugality and reluctance to discuss success intensified isolation. Joining a real estate mastermind in 2016 provided access to peers with similar wealth and priorities. Connecting with like-minded investors created a new social circle that understood financial goals and reduced loneliness.

Read at Business Insider