The reason why rich people still keep working

Think you'd hand in your notice if you suddenly struck it rich? You'd be surprised.

When Keith, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, worked at a technology company that went public, he became rich overnight. He was sure he'd never need to work again.

His pay-out from the initial public offering was well into the "tens of millions" of dollars, he says, a life-changing amount. It gave him the type of financial security that most of us can only dream of.

He stayed on at first, but soon stopped working. He spent a year travelling and spending money on "frivolous things" but found it difficult to enjoy his life, he says.

Like most people, Keith (who asked that his last name and identifying details not be used due to the personal nature of his story) had long believed he worked simply to make money.

He was wrong. And so even with savings that would last a lifetime, Keith started another job search.

"I just felt unhappy at the lack of structure and not knowing what my purpose in life was. My skills were deteriorating and I was finding it difficult to interact with other people intellectually," says Keith, now in his mid-thirties.

"There's a higher reason why we all go to work."

Now, he's back at work - and significantly happier than he was not working.

You'd think striking it suddenly rich would be the ultimate ticket to freedom.

Without money worries, the world would be your oyster. Perhaps you'd champion a worthy cause, or indulge a sporting passion, but work? Surely not.

However, remaining gainfully employed after sudden wealth is more common than you'd think.

After all, there are numerous high-profile billionaires who haven't called it quits despite possessing the luxury to retire, including some of the world's top chief executives, such as Amazon's Jeff Bezos and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.

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