Dwarf Fortress co-creator Tarn Adams has said that becoming a millionaire has chiefly restored a level of financial security that his parents could once achieve through ordinary employment. His remarks highlight how rising living costs and weaker economic security have changed what wealth means for many people, even in a successful creative career.

Adams co-created the long-running fantasy simulation game Dwarf Fortress, whose paid Steam release greatly expanded its commercial success. He characterised his current lifestyle not as lavish, but as being able to afford the stability and options that were more attainable for a previous generation on regular wages.