JK Rowling admits she was 'terrified' when she became rich

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has admitted she was terrified when she became wealthy and still worries about money despite her $1 billion fortune, according to details in a new book.

"I still worry about money. Funnily enough it bears no relation to what is in your bank account, it is purely emotional," the Telegraph quoted the UK author of the boy-wizard novels as saying.

"I was as poor as it's possible to be in this country. I was a single parent.

"I was terrified of pressing the wrong button and losing everything, and having to look at my daughter in the face and say, 'We had a house and now through a stupid error…' I don't know what I thought I was going to do but my terror was making a ridiculous mistake and it all disappearing."

According to the new book "When you are super-rich who can you trust?", Ms Rowling, real name is Joanne Kathleen Rowling, is not alone.

The new book claims self-made, ultra-rich people have few friends, find it difficult to trust people with their money and feel isolated and unloved.

"Most have no idea how to manage their liquid wealth," the book's author, Caroline Garnham, said.

Ms Garnham, a former head of a private client law practice at one of the UK's largest legal firms, claimed many of the new rich "struggle in the first few years after they cash in on their business".

"They are often plagued by feelings of guilt and disbelief, as well as feeling isolated, lonely and out of their depth," she said.

"Self-made Ultra High Net Worth individuals did not learn the intricacies of wealth, management from childhood nor inherit their advisors along with the family's riches. The wealthy are a minority group. They do not know who to trust."

Ms Garnham, who is now CEO of a Family Office Club for the super-rich, also believes the ultra-wealthy have been given a bad name due to the perception of people with money.

"The super-rich get a lousy deal. They are deemed to be rather lofty and - because they have money - people don’t tend to think they are not like anybody else. But they are real people," she said.

"They now have enough money to pay off their mortgage but that's when their troubles start. Their relationships with people around them is the real problem. It is difficult for the rich to get a handle on who they can trust."