Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons.
Here are 4 web sites that provide information to your question. I have no opinion about them or what they stand for.
http://freemasonry.org/
http://www.masonicinfo.com/famous.htm
http://people.howstuffworks.com/freemason.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=1859087&page=1
