Wealth is a claim on the output of society. It's very hard to store wealth outside of society. Actual stored wealth: * precious metal and fossil fuels, etc *

Wealth is a claim on the output of society. It's very hard to store wealth outside of society. Actual stored wealth: * precious metal and fossil fuels, etc * seeds, canned goods, grain reserves * Buildings, wells, physical infrastructure on the land * tools etc that last through time Money is only useful to the extent it can buy things. If civilization collapses, then that's a destruction of wealth. If output merely diminishes, that's also a destruction of wealth. It will still be better to be rich than to be poor, but even the rich depend on what society produces.