Likutei Moharan, Part II
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מַה שֶּׁאָנוּ רוֹאִים, שֶׁכָּל הַנְּגִידִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, כִּמְעַט כֻּלָּם, הֵם מְשֻׁגָּעִים מַמָּשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָנוּ רוֹאִין בְּחוּשׁ, שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא עָשִׁיר, יֵשׁ לוֹ שִׁגָּעוֹן גָּדוֹל –
We see that the super-wealthy, almost without exception, are real eccentrics. As we observe empirically, anyone who is [super-]wealthy has a great mishegaas .
דַּע, כִּי הַמָּמוֹן עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתוֹ מְשֻׁגָּע, כִּי הַמָּמוֹן הוּא מִנְּפִילַת הָעֲשִׁירוּת שֶׁל הַנְּבִיאִים, כִּי כָל הַנְּבִיאִים הָיוּ עֲשִׁירִים (נדרים לח), וְהַנְּבוּאָה כְּשֶׁבָּאָה עַל הַנָּבִיא, הָיָה כְּמוֹ מִשְׁתַּגֵּעַ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י: וַיִּתְנַבֵּא – וְאִשְׁתַּטֵּי (שמואל־א יח);
Know! the money makes him crazy. This is because the money stems from the fallen wealth of the prophets. For all the prophets were wealthy (Nedarim 38a). When the prophetic spirit came over the prophet, it was as if he was mad. As Rashi explains: “and he prophesied” (1 Samuel 18:10)—he spoke deliriously.
וְאֵצֶל הַנְּגִידִים הַנַּ"ל נַעֲשֶׂה עַל־יְדֵי הַמָּמוֹן שִׁגָּעוֹן גָּמוּר, וְעַל־כֵּן הֵם נַעֲשִׂים מְשֻׁגָּעִים עַל־יְדֵי הָעֲשִׁירוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם:
In the case of the aforementioned super-wealthy, the money creates genuine insanity. Consequently, their wealth makes them eccentric.