‘The plot twist’: A study of 73,000 adults found America’s richest still die sooner than most Europeans

A Brown University study of 73,000 adults found that Americans die sooner than Europeans at every wealth level, even as U.S. life expectancy reached a record 79 years in 2024. The research undercuts the assumption that money alone buys longevity, showing that the richest Americans still trail their European counterparts. The findings matter because U.S. health spending far outpaces Europe's while outcomes lag, a gap with implications for insurers, employers and public programs. Watch for follow-up research isolating which factors—diet, built environment, health-system access or social policy—drive the disparity.