How many of you prefer money over recognition ???????

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I have been working as a student part-timer in the most reputed and biggest telecom company in our country. It is the most successful sister concern of Telenor-Norway. The salary I get that many graduate students may dream about, besides I have the security of being hired to the full time position after completing my graduation with all full-time facilities. I also get some extra benefits like sales incentives, preferred shift, exam leaves when needed etc. There's a very well appreciated culture of awarding the best performer of each month, which is titled as "Best Employee of the Month of XXXXX" which doesn't bother whether you are a part-timer or a full-timer. We both have several KPIs (Key Performance Indicator) to fulfill and the highest KPI gainer is selected as the BEST. The competition is very fair and we can always monitor our performance and competency through various tools which means no biasness. There's another rewarding facility for the BESTs. Every year, the company arrange a talent-hunt show where the best employees do participate in different managerial tasks and assignments. According to their performance they are invited to switch their department or responsibilities when there is a vacancy. So all the best positions are actually filled internally by the BESTs first then the others. Moreover, the person who get the nomination 6 times over 12, a year, he/she is elected as the "Best performer of the Year". With the help of GOD, though I'm a part-timer, I got the opportunity to earn the "Best" title twice this year so far. As a reward I got a very well decorated certificated, where my name is written in bold letter after the title of "Best Employee of the Month". I also got an appreciation letter, which was handed by the Head of my department himself to me. It was written that, "my dedication inspired them a lot". That was a great great achievement for me though it didn't give me any monetary value but a satisfaction that I'm the Best among 1500 other employees of my department. To some of my colleagues, it doesn't mean anything. They think that, if you work hard for your company than your company must reward you that will have a monetary value. But to me, the personal satisfaction and social acceptance that I got from working in this company, and the recognition that I achieved is far more important than the raise in balance of my bank account. I do prefer recognition over money as when I see the glow in my fellows eyes when they look at me is more than anything to me. What do think friends? am I right? or some of my colleagues are right?