What's a word for a positive kind of "envy" without the sense of resentment?

Imagine your college buddy is now running a multi-billion dollar company, while you're still stuck at the same white-collar day job 5 years after graduation. You chat with him and want to express the idea that you're happy for him and fancy having his lifestyle--something like "I wish I could buy a yacht and cruise around the world like you do; I'm glad you're doing really well!"

Basically, it's the feeling of envy when you take out the resentment from it. Is there a word for it?

(I thought about "admire", but found it too strong and broad)

Solution 1:

You can say he inspires you. Or, you aspire to succeed as well as he has.

inspire : to make (someone) want to do something : to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create
_{Merriam-Webster}

aspire : to want to have or achieve something (such as a particular career or level of success)
_{Merriam-Webster}

Solution 2:

The concept is familiar, but when it comes to finding one word to express the concept in English, I don't think there is one. Some traditions express the concept in English with the phrase 'unselfish joy', or 'taking pleasure from another's good fortune', and the Pali/Sanscrit word 'mudita' covers that territory. See, for explanations, Mudita: The Buddha's Teaching on Unselfish Joy.

Perhaps, if you want to express your feelings to your friend, the straightforward "your good fortune pleases me" or something similar would serve.

The German 'schadenfreude', used to express the opposite concept ('taking pleasure from another's misfortune') is common enough in English to convey its meaning to many educated speakers without definition or explanation.