In response to your edit: I don't think many (if any) politicians are in it for the money. It's either the genuine belief that they can improve things or just

In response to your edit: I don't think many (if any) politicians are in it for the money. It's either the genuine belief that they can improve things or just a straight-up hunger for influence and power. In light of your edit, I have no idea what point you're trying to get across. Being President is so stressful ... so what? Anyone who could become President is likely well past the "living comfortably" stage so there's obviously something else that drives them. Same goes for any of the Fortune 500 CEOs you refer to (none of them need the money).