Why do you have to be an accredited investor?
ibsulon: It's government looking out for "your interests." That said...It is not as risky to go into business as it is to loan someone else money to go into business. You lose so much control, and people often gamble with retirement money because of a personal connection. When it goes well, all celebrate. However, it can tear family and friendships apart if it doesn't.The government assumes that if you have the money to lose, you are also wise enough to avoid such issues, as well as those of fraud, etc, and that you won't lose your shirt because of it.(People did lose a lot of money with higher risk investments in the market crash, leading to the 1933 reforms.)