Wake up late, have a big breakfast and then wander down to the beach for the first swim of the day. A round of golf, a few cocktails and then dinner on one's yacht at sunset.

You might think this is how the wealthy envisage the autumn of their lives but in Britain it seems that this is not the case. A new survey shows that almost 60% of wealthy people in the UK don't want to quit working even when they pass the retirement age of 65.

The organisation Barclays Wealth interviewed 2,000 people, defining 'wealthy' as those with over 1 million pound (10 million yuan) in assets to invest. It found that more people in the UK are shunning the traditional concept of retirement than in any of the 19 other developed countries surveyed.

The group even has a nickname; those who never want to be retirees are called "nevertirees" in the survey.

And their number is likely to grow over the coming years with 70% of people under the age of 45 in the study indicating that even a golden handshake will not be enough to make them hang up their boots.

"Whilst in previous generations there have always been an energetic few with the health and drive (to keep working), many looked to create their wealth early on in life with a view to enjoying it when they retired," said Greg Davies at Barclays Wealth.

"This report reflects a different attitude, with wealthy individuals wanting to continue to challenge themselves well beyond the traditional retirement age," he added.

The survey was reported in many newspapers in Britain and it found its critics. "There's no point in working till you drop," said Iain from Norwich, on the Daily Mail website. "Work to live, not live to work."

Sarah Harper, Professor of Gerontology at the University of Oxford, disagrees. She says: "People want to contribute; they want to be doing something. Work gives people status, and at an age when you're incredibly experienced you may want to start a second career or even do something completely different from your previous professional life."

The survey raises an interesting question. What is it that really motivates us to work? Is it fear of poverty? Or just fear of boredom?