An argumentum ad crumenam argument, also known as an argument to the purse, is the informal fallacy of drawing conclusions based on the speaker's financial status.[1] The term generally refers to the assumption that having wealth is indicative of insight or virtue, and that poverty denotes the opposite.[1]
The opposite is the argumentum ad lazarum.
Examples:
- "If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?"
- "This new law is a good idea. Most of the people against it are riff-raff who make less than $20,000 a year."
- "Warren Buffett is hosting a seminar. This seminar is better than others, because Warren Buffett is richer than most people."