Wealth is elusive in Silicon Valley, and one software engineer told Mercury News how he determines whether someone is wealthy: Do they have to work to live? To be sure, the financial markers to be considered middle class in Silicon Valley and Bay Area cities are higher than other parts of the US. Costs don't let up the closer you get to the heart of Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is on the brink of millionaire mania, The New York Times' Nellie Bowles reported. Ultimately there isn't one net worth or income figure that symbolizes wealth in Silicon Valley, Dietz told Mercury News: "Wealth isn't necessarily a number.

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