Let’s say that I’m some nobody named John (Jean, Juan, Johann, etc) and by some fantastic stroke of luck I come into a fortune, a king’s ransom, hundreds of thousands of whatever the local gold pieces are. And let’s say that I cannot and have no desire to actually be a fighting man, someone who can go into battle on horseback with broadsword and lance, and therefore cannot hold a fief by right of service to my lord. Now obviously I can live very comfortably for the rest of my life, but just how far up the social ladder can wealth alone get me? The answer probably varies considerably by time and place: wealth became more important during the pre-Renaissance era than just after the dark ages. But could mere wealth be parlayed into something better, or would I be stuck bowing to any knight no matter how rich a commoner I was?
Are you willing to join a merchants’ guild? Because it looks as though in, say, the major cities of medieval Italy from about the 11th century to the Renaissance, you could be quite powerful and influential as a member of the mercantile class. Yes, the royals and nobles and princes of the Church would always be socially superior to you, but your position overall would be quite enviable.
Where’d you get the money, jack? And how is your unarmed ass going to stop the king’s tax?
Seriously, though, wealth can go a long way. The High Middle Ages could get expensive for many in the ruling classes; they’d probably try to marry you into their families, & I think a king might just ennoble you in exchange for some of that gold. (The sale of titles & “adoption” of rich commoners by destitute noble families continues to this day.)
Or branching off of what foolsguinea said, you could buy a church office as well, thus mitigating one of the barriers that kimstu mentioned.
It’s going to depend on when and where you are, like you mentioned. Also, while having money is always better than not having money, having it won’t do you much good unless you have some way to keep people from taking it (which medieval kings and nobles had a tendency to do), which is why I second Kimstu’s suggestion to get into a merchants’ guild or some other social network that can protect you, as soon as possible.
You’re also, first, going to want to get to a city, which might be kind of difficult if you’re a serf or something like that, because all that money isn’t going to do you much good out in the countryside. You’re also going to have to transport your money to the city, protect it along the way, and find a place to store and protect it while it’s there. Banks and convertable paper did exist back then, but depending on where/when you were, you might not have access.
The guy with the most money = the guy with the most soldiers = Yes, my liege!
‘Noble’ is medievalspeak for ‘biggest badass with loads of cash’.
Yet I think it’s long been true that bankers and money tend to find each other.
Depending on the local economy, you have a couple of choices. Manatee had a good suggestion since the church was a traditional “back door” to advancement. But be ready to be up to your neck in politics. Another route to preserving your money or at least providing for your future would be to make an arrangement with the church or a monastary to provide a stipend and/or retirement benefit. This was sometimes done by middle class folks who gave a stinkload of cash to the church which would provide for them in their old age. These agreements were often excrutiatingly detailed, down to the loaves of bread per week and amount and types of clothes and when they would be given.
But that doesn’t buy you a social position. You might have trouble advancing if you’re resistant to being a warrior. The feudal system was based on the idea that warriors ruled and that the hierarchy was therefore made of warriors. As an alternative to fighting, you might try to advance through administration. Many of the Kings offices could be bought. So if you are willing to be a chancelor, chamberlain, or some other public official you might be able to advance that way. If you were particlarly good, you might be rewarded with higher offices. As you climb that ladder, your social position is bound to change in practical ways since power, official or economic, is always the ultimate arbiter of social class. If you can keep your power long enough, your children can be sent to the right schools (or have the right tutors and classmates) and voila, your family eventually becomes “Old Money.”