The idea that money can’t buy happiness is one of the world’s most enduring tropes. King Midas gets his wish that everything he touches turns to gold and then dies of starvation. Jay Gatsby discovers that money can’t buy him Daisy’s love. Succession has proven so popular not only because it is so intelligently written, but also because it dwells on the misery of the super-rich. The Roy children may live in a world of private planes, luxury yachts and understated designer clothes, but their personal lives are marinated in toxicity. Better to be a happy country girl than Kendall Roy.

But is there any real evidence of this? Or is it simply a story we tell ourselves either out of resentment toward the rich or a sense of social justice? We can all produce examples of rich people whose lives were ruined by horrible divorces or poor people who spend their lives doing what they love. But anecdotes are not data – and vague feelings about desserts alone are not arguments.