‘The first thing I learned about having money was that it gives you choices. People don’t want to be rich. They want to be able to choose. The richer you are, the more choices you have. That is the freedom of money.
This sharp insight by Trevor Noah reframes the idea of wealth. Money is often seen as a luxury, a status symbol, or a source of power. Noah reduces it to something simpler and more human. Choice.
The quote moves the conversation away from greed and towards autonomy. Most people are not chasing gold-plated lifestyles.
They are chasing options. The option to leave a bad job. The option to live in a safer area. The option to say no without fear.
According to this idea, money represents space. Space to decide. Space to breathe. Space to shape one’s own path. Without financial freedom, even small decisions feel heavy.
Trevor Noah, in Born a Crime, reflects on growing up in apartheid South Africa, where poverty and racial laws restricted opportunity. His childhood was shaped by limits.
His later success brought perspective. Wealth did not change his humanity. It expanded his choices.
Modern society glorifies being rich. Social media displays cars, holidays and brands. This quote challenges that surface image. It suggests that what people truly seek is control over their own lives.
What it means
Trevor Noah, who celebrates his birthday on 20 February, distinguishes between wealth and extravagance. Money is not about showing off. It’s about deciding.
When a person has savings, they can walk away from humiliation. When a family has financial stability, they can choose better education or healthcare. When someone has resources, they can take risks without falling into crisis.
Choice creates dignity. It reduces dependence on others’ mercy. It replaces fear with possibility.
The quote also carries realism. Not everyone wants to be a billionaire. Most people simply want enough freedom to direct their own story.
Seen this way, financial literacy becomes empowerment. Earning and saving are not selfish acts. They are acts of preparation.
Where it comes from
Born a Crime narrates Noah’s experience as a mixed-race child in a system that criminalised his very existence. Poverty and discrimination limited movement and safety.
Growing up in such conditions teaches a hard lesson. When you lack money, you lack options. Your world shrinks.
Success later revealed the opposite truth. With financial independence came the ability to make choices without constant survival anxiety.
Noah’s comedy often hides serious reflection. Behind humor lies a recognition that freedom is rarely abstract. It is practical. It is economic.
This quote reflects that lived understanding. Wealth is not worshipped. It is translated into agency.
How to apply it today
Takeaway 1: View money as a tool for independence rather than status.
Takeaway 2: Build savings gradually to increase personal choice over time.
Takeaway 3: Respect financial discipline as a path to dignity, not greed.
Having options may not look dramatic. Yet it changes everything.
Freedom is not always loud. Sometimes it is simply the quiet ability to choose.
Related readings
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Explore financial education and mindset.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Examines behavior behind wealth and decision-making.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
A memoir about resilience and identity.
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
Focuses on financial freedom through conscious spending.
