And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Mark 10:21

Whatever the faults of this rich man, Jesus saw him and loved him for his obedience and his desire to please God. The problem wasn't that he was rich, but that he might value his riches over his relationship with God.