When I sat down and did the math I realized moving from northern California to Ireland in 2013 has had a total opportunity cost of something like $1-$2 million, and that's conservative.
There are plenty of things to like about the EU but let's not kid ourselves, America is pretty nice if your goal is to be wealthy (and most people want that, even if they won't admit it).
The Americans the EU would be best for are, for the most part, the ones who can't get a visa.
Summary - if you're "meant" to be rich, i.e. you do what it takes, you'll probably be anywhere in the world. Is life in Europe more interesting, cultured, and sophisticated than living in nyc and vacationing in florida? probably.
There are plenty of things to like about the EU but let's not kid ourselves, America is pretty nice if your goal is to be wealthy (and most people want that, even if they won't admit it).
The Americans the EU would be best for are, for the most part, the ones who can't get a visa.