Richie Rich is the son of Richard and Regina Rich, two of the wealthiest people in the world. Richie lives a life of luxury in the Rich Mansion, of which he is helped and waited upon by a manservant named Cadbury, who acts as Richie's guardian when his parents are unable to. Also in the employ of the family is Professor Keenbeen, a man who comes up with rather amusing gadgets and gizmos for the Rich family.One day, Richie attends the reopening of a factory called United Tool, which is father has saved from bankruptcy. While acting in his father's place, Richie soon becomes more interested in some kids playing a game of baseball nearby than the event. However, when he tries to join in the game, he is ushered away by Cadbury. On the trip back to the Rich Mansion, Cadbury notices a strange look of melancholy on Richie's face.When Richie attends school the next day, he tries to get some of the other wealthy classmates to 'hang out' with him, but none of them are willing to or know what this meaning is. On the way home, Richie has Cadbury take him back to the neighborhood where United Tool is. Finding the kids playing baseball again, Richie tries to join their game, only to have the kids feel that Richie is too rich to know how to play sports. He proves them wrong by hitting a homerun. Richie's thoughts that this will impress them, only seems to repulse them.Richie is then scheduled to accompany his parents on a visit to see the Queen of England. However, Cadbury insists that Richie stay home, and Regina and Richard give in to his request.Later on in the day, Cadbury surprises Richie by showing that he has invited the kids from the baseball game to stop by. They are soon enormously impressed by the Rich Mansion, and soon end up playing all sorts of games with Richie. Richie eagerly invites them back for another time to play, but this is soon tempered when a report comes that his parent's airplane has gone down in the Atlantic Ocean. Even though it seems hopeless, Richie and Cadbury believe that Richie's parents are still alive.Unknown to them, the plane crash was orchestrated by Lawrence Van Dough, a ruthless member of the Rich Industries Board who intends to take over the company. As the second-in-command behind Richard, Lawrence begins to make changes in the company's policies, starting with the closing of United Tool. When Richie is informed of this by Gloria, he decides to take action.As heir to the Rich Family Fortune, Richie owns a large portion of company stock, but is unable to take control of the company. However, since Cadbury was placed as Richie's guardian in the case of anything happening to his parents, Richie can operate through Cadbury.This move irritates Van Dough, who soon finds himself in a tug-of-war with the Rich Empire's board of directors.