You can get rich in America a lot faster than in Europe, generally speaking, provided you plan ahead (for example, healthcare and insurance).

Americans can always find ways to make money (sometimes a lot) by doing just about anything, from reading Tarot cards to working overtime. There’s much less of that in Europe. Less dire poverty in Europe, but if you’re a hardworking professional, the state takes half or more of your earnings if you include all taxes and fees. You’re expected to trust that the government has your best interests at heart.

Europe has pedestrian culture (walkable cities), better safety, and arguably more amenities like museums and art galleries, but the expectation is that you work until retirement and then get a modest pension.

You have to hope that your pension will be enough. My colleague from Netherlands keeps telling me about how their parents have an insufficient pension despite working good jobs their whole lives. The state expects them to sell the house and downsize to something smaller. If they had lived in the US, and invested in even simple index funds, they’d be lightyears ahead of where they are financially at 65+.

In the long-term, I’d rather be independently wealthy (passive income enough to pay my expenses so working is optional) than living in a welfare state. I understand the benefits of European social democracy, but once you starting earning a professional salary, it becomes disappointing to see how much of your money is misspent. When you’re working class or a student, the system is great.