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Cuando sea adulta, quiero ser rica.

Cuando sea adulta, quiero ser rica.
When I am an adult, I want to be rich.
From Lesson 253:Future time clauses (cuando)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Cuando sea adulta, quiero ser rica.

Why is the subjunctive sea used here instead of the indicative soy?
This is the core of this lesson: when cuando (when) refers to a future event that hasn't happened yet, it must be followed by the subjunctive. The speaker isn't an adult yet, so we use sea. If it were a repeated, habitual action (like "whenever I am..."), you would use the indicative soy.
The English translation says "When I am an adult", which sounds like present tense. Why does it trigger the future/subjunctive rule?
English often uses the present tense to talk about the future after "when" (we say "when I arrive tomorrow", not "when I will arrive"). Spanish, however, strictly recognizes that the event hasn't happened yet and requires the subjunctive to show this future anticipation.
Why is the main verb quiero in the present indicative if we are talking about the future?
Because the desire is happening right now. You currently want (quiero) something to be true in the future. The cuando clause just sets the timeframe for when you want to be rich, but the feeling of wanting is in the present.
Why do we use ser for being rich (ser rica)? Isn't wealth a temporary state that should use estar?
In Spanish, being rich (ser rico or ser rica) is treated as a defining characteristic of a person's identity or social status, rather than a temporary physical or emotional state. Because of this, it always uses ser rather than estar.

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