Want to invest in the same stuff rich people do? Well, if you are not rich already the answer is often “Too bad”.

In the investment business we have a concept called “accredited investor” it means that certain investments can only be bought by people with a high net worth or high income.

Often these are some of the highest returning investments — almost all of the leading hedge funds, private equity and venture capital funds— funds which vastly outperform typical mutual funds— are limited only to rich people.

Who’s idea is this? Certainly not the investment folks who’d love to have more customers and less paperwork. Nope. It’s government who wants to protect people who are not rich by not allowing them to invest in the same investments that many of the richest and most successful investors buy. (They also like to create jobs and generate fees for government workers who enforce this type of thing.)

If government ran a health club by the same logic they’d only allow world class athletes to exercise and the more extra pounds you had the more you’d be barred from being allowed to enter the gym.