He correlates the money to his problems as a ego defense mechanism. By blaming something external, he doesn't have to face that he is an "asshole," to use his o

He correlates the money to his problems as a ego defense mechanism. By blaming something external, he doesn't have to face that he is an "asshole," to use his own word. It's the difference between "money made me an asshole" and "I am an asshole and always was one." The first one is much easier to live with than the second one. Same with "my money made all of my friends insecure whiners" vs. "I filled my life with insecure whiners."