Indeed, I don't see anywhere else that Americans accept a "wealth test" to exercise a basic economic right (ownership of production).

Note, the accredited-investor rules are not an "ability-to-pay" test. That would be fair: if you can write the check, you're in.

The rules also are not a creditworthiness test: they don't evaluate reliability, and investors want to give money, not take it from others.

And they're not a competence test: you can be credentialed to professionally handle others' investments and businesses (through things like passing the bar or "Series 7" or CPA exams), or otherwise have degrees in law, technology, and business... and still not pass the same "accredited investor" wealth standard that any dolt who inherits a million dollars does, automatically.

The distinction ought to be abolished as a matter of basic fairness.