As other comments have noted, one answer is that work is fun for many people. Another is that work gives purpose and structure to life, just like having childre

As other comments have noted, one answer is that work is fun for many people. Another is that work gives purpose and structure to life, just like having children does. Another answer is that most rich people are self made and have had to work hard to get where they are. That means more hours at work and more sacrifice of other life experiences. Delayed gratification is a key part of the path to success but it then also becomes its own blessing or curse. On the positive side, it can be like being in love in a happy marriage - you develop deeper and deeper appreciation for your partner, discover greater richness and depth in them, and yes it comes at the exclusion of other things but that’s fine. A more cynical answer is the relentless grit that gets a rich person to that point of wealth is hard to turn off, and having not developed other comparably significant interests in their adult life, it consumes them and becomes the default way to keep occupied.