Maybe you are thinking of the 0.01%. The 1% income threshold in the U.S. is about $380K. That's wealthy but it's not empire-building. Most senior software engineers are probably in the top 5% of income earners in the U.S. already, they could easily be in the top 1% with a high earning spouse.
> The 1% income threshold in the U.S. is about $380K.
It's $521,411 per household[0] (the household bit is probably where we're getting confused).
$500k, $400k, either way, the goal is as I've stated; once you've taken care of yourself, you start wanting to take care of others. There is always motivation to make more, until everyone is provided for, and even when you've provided for everyone you care about, providing for the general wellbeing of humanity becomes a priority (Gates, Buffet, et al).
