Money tends to make the world go ‘round, or so the saying goes. This often means that most of us think long and hard about the decisions we make, how much it will cost and if it will be worth it in the end. But for the rich, things work a bit differently, so this raises the question, how does one act when money is no longer important?
Someone asked “People who work for the super wealthy, what stuff have you seen?” and netizens shared their stories. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.
This post may include affiliate links.
My dad was friends with a Spanish rich dude because they shared some love for old cars. My dad had one, rich dude had many. Thing is, these people had a maid that worked for them since before this rich dude was born. His parents were never around so she was the one to actually raise him. She fed him, took him to school when he was a child, everything your parents would do for you, this maid did. She had been working in that comically large house for over 30 years. Other staff such as cooks, cleaners, etc would come and go but she was almost part of the family, we thought.
One day rich dude decides he wants to move to the US and sells the house. What does he do with the maid? He just fired her over the phone. He never even said goodbye to the woman that basically raised him. And so I learned that rich people don't consider the poors to be the same kind of human being as them.
This guy was basically a douche, regardless of his family's wealth. And he'll probably regret doing this one day, because she was his unofficial mum.
Did building maintenance for a wealthy family who had a “LEGO room” for their grandkids. This room was huge and had cupboards full of Lego and building tables everywhere. There were huge Star Wars ships and castles etc. all over the place. One day the kids were deemed too old for Lego and I was asked to dispose of it all. I carefully packed them all into bags and gave them to friends children. Many thousands of dollars worth. Man I was popular
The only one I kept for myself was a small Fallingwater build of Frank Lloyd Wright’s. Apparently quit collectable by architects.
Atleast they let the things be donated to others. Unlike so many in this list
I was a nanny for landed gentry (the title of Sir and Lady get handed down to the eldest child, along with the manor house and lands)
Kids were packed off to boarding school at 8. It was heartbreaking. The middle child was dreading it, tears every night, literally sobbing himself to sleep in my arms.
Parents attitude was 'we were like that too, so he has to do it'
Youngest was 2 at the time and would always prefer me to his actual mum. He fell over once and came to me for cuddles and kisses, didn't even glance at his mum who was stood right next to me. She didn't seem bothered.
Thing is the parents were actually pretty nice people, just not bothered about child rasing in any way. At least they didn't insist I use their titles, like some of their friends did with their staff.
A wealthy French family liked to visit their "weekend home" at least twice a month. It was a frickin castle in the country. Out of curiosity, I asked the daughter if they inherited it. She responded that there was too much drama involved with the inherited castle which caused fighting amongst her uncles and aunts...so they simply "bought their own castle".
When I lived in New York, I worked at a highly regarded hotel, the kind where you would see celebrities every other day.
I had my fair share of what the f**k did I just witness ones that stood out to me was when a guest rented out a honeymoon suit just for their cat.
I know it sounds made up, but rich people are weird, and so is New York.
I work on extreme large yachts (180-200 ft) and I can’t tell you how many non house broken dogs rich people have. They own dogs of all shapes and sizes and seem to think,it’s perfectly fine for the dogs to doo doo anywhere it likes. I would assume this is not just on the yacht as the boat is tied up to a dock, so it must happen in their houses too. They have money to hire dog trainers!
Saw a Prince of Saudi Arabia in the early 90s throw money in a way beyond all imagination. Dropped about $100k for a single dinner for him, his wife, and his two children.
Shutting down the fine-dining restaurant in our hotel costs $30k for one night. Flew in his favorite chef from New York to Florida (where the hotel is), made enough food for our entire restaurant staff, his family, and the security staff from state, local, and federal forces he had with him, and tipped us a ridiculous amount, too.
He stayed at our hotel every year for several years and rented the top 4 floors of the hotel for a month. Had one 747 for himself and another for his staff which numbered around 400 people.
There was a case where a Saudi Prince in the 80s came to the US to buy weapons for his country. came with $250,000 in bills at the time to "tip for services and cover any expenses that might come up that were not planned". One of his escorts saw him attempt to tip a US military chopper pilot for taking him on a approved ride in a chopper model the Saudi military was looking at. THe guy said the pilot looked like he was having trouble refusing the 2k in cash being offered, but of course did. Lil Wayne has a story where a saudi prince gifted him a 200k lambo just for accidentally inconveniencing him . There is rich and there is Arab Oil Sheikh rich
My favorite story to tell: I was working a catering event for the guy who owned Tupperware… old guy, very wealthy, insanely beautiful nice much younger Latin dancer wife. I had fun I like working hospitality for nice people.
I was putting their food away and she showed me to her Tupperware pantry…… the whole house was beautiful and neat…. Except the Tupperware closet…. No joke I could not find a lid for most containers.
Not me but an acquaintance of mine works as a senior engineer on huge mega yachts. The husband is barely there but the trophy wife (No 5) tens years younger than his youngest daughter, lives in it most of the time. All of the staff know to stay clear of the sun deck between 11.00 and 12.00 every morning. She comes up from her cabin, 3 stiff gins in and cries for an hour before lunch to herself. Every, f*****g, morning. The added kicker, the yacht is named after his first wife.
Private jet to deliver their dog and black car service (me) to pick up the dog then pick up an assistant off another private jet so she could dog sit while they voted on James Beard awards.
Giving away all the furniture in a house to their domestic servants because it didn't go with the new theme and was too much trouble to sell. This was very kind but I always think it's funny that there's a landscaper out there with a $50k couch.
Super rich guy asking his other super rich friends if they ever went to a low end bar and did a "human circus". Said he'd pay people to do whatever he wanted. Said they were drunk and needed money and thought everyone was having fun. These guys were all obscenely wealthy and all his friends pretty much told him that was a f****d up thing to do.
The "human circus" part is just awful, but in what world are there $50K couches?
Had a Client who purchased a newly built penthouse apartment and wanted a jacuzzi on the balcony. It would’ve meant a structural column was needed in the middle of the balcony below which the contractor who built the apartment block wouldn’t go for as it would impact selling that apartment.
Client buys the apartment below, approves the column, jacuzzi is installed, then privately sells the apartment below. Voila problem solved.
Did work for this guy, more so working with him.
we were sitting down at the table about to sign a contract and his assistant forgot "the" pen. apparently, this pen has sign all the deals that were successful in his early career and made him who is is, so he doesnt sign any deal without it. so he legit tells her to get on the jet, and bring it him immediately.
he "apologies" for the inconvenience by adding 20% to the deal.... money isnt an actual thing to wealthy people... its all a made up concept of unlimited 1s and 0s.
And people think taylor swift traveling on her jet is the only problem?!
Lots of pill popping to handle stress- especially before speaking engagements. People always viewed them as friendly, engaging, and fun. Little did they know that was a public persona thanks to copious amounts of Ativan. In real life they were picky, obstinate, difficult, and a nightmare for all of us employees to deal with. We had to remember all of these particular preferences and abide by them always.
Much, much smaller scale, but a colleague made an offhand comment about her kids needing red T Shirts for an art project at school. She said she was going to Run into Lord & Taylor or Bergdoff's to get a "cheapy" shirt.
Me, in my head, normal people go to Wal-Mart for "cheapy" shirts.
My friend was a security guard for an elderly widow of a Dallas oil baron who lived on White Rock lake. She had a full time private chef and kitchen staff, although she lived there alone. He said the chef would cook huge beef roasts, turkeys, brisket, all kinds of food every day just to have available in case the old lady wanted something, which she rarely did. They weren’t allowed to give the leftover food away to the staff or anyone else, but had to throw it out every single day. And when the old lady requested ice water or iced tea or lemonade, if even one ice cube had cracks in it, she would make them throw it all out and make it again.
My boss has a wooden covering to what once encased an ancient Egyptian mummy.
He is elderly and we were preparing items to be shipped to his daughter who lives over seas. We didn't send it because it is a known stolen artifact and will be confiscated at customs.
Pumped a bunch of money into the Malibu City counsel in order to change a few seats. This would allow him to have the local ordinance changed so his front doors could be taller than 20 feet.
A customer writing a cheque for $5+ million for equipment and casually handing it over to us while making jokes.
After he left we took turns holding it because when would the opportunity come up again to hold $5 million dollars in your hand in any capacity?
The ceo of a company i used to work for offered to take me wine tasting, she said itd be free, apparently she spends so much money on wine from this vinyard that they get her a limo and free access/tasting whenever she feels like it.....
Not directly for them but I worked at a summer boarding school in France for rich English kids. Parents would send the kids to us and jet off for the season. One kid bounced wrong on a bed messing about and flew through a window, lacerating his liver and almost bleeding to death. He was in hospital for two months with various complications before being moved home. The parents never came to visit, never even spoke to him. After two weeks his au pair or something came for about three hours. Some of those kids were little bastards, but it was very clear why.
I also worked as a sailor on a few rich folks boats. They were always super nice, if a little clueless and overenthusiastic.
I've worked in private banking and I can't say too many things but the weirdest example by far was a billionaire client who employed a private detective or intelligence officer to create a file on me, complete with photographs they took of me going home from work.
I think it's safe to say that I'm talking about the kind of billionaire who is linked to a head of state, your average new money tech billionaire doesn't have this kind of security operation.
He said that his security team produce a file on everyone before they walk through his door and he advised me to tighten up my online security.
Well, I suppose at that level of wealth/power some paranoia is indeed reasonable. Sounds like an aweful way to live though
Worked in the mail room at one of the BIG 10 and got to see a super wealthy persons tax return; it was 2 entire file boxes and this person was getting somewhere around 10 million dollars back on his tax return… he’s already super wealthy and he’s getting a lifetimes worth of wealth back on one tax return….
Spending $30k+ every year on Christmas decorations.
A safe, with a mirror for a lid, right next to the slopeside hottub. It's literally a safe meant to do cocaine off of.
This one time they had to delay putting the roof on the building a couple days because they had to *helicopter in* a dining room to the penthouse - a single plank of redwood like 7 or 8ft x25ft.
Cool hidden doors to even cooler hidden rooms.
Firepole or indoor slides for the kids.
"Oh that's located over in the children's wing".
Clawfoot bathtubs carved from a single piece of marble.
Not me but the wife of an acquaintance told us a story of how she used to work for a wealthy businessman on his private yacht, but, he was never on it.
She worked in the kitchen as one of the chefs and basically he would have his family or his friends use it when they were in town to save on having to have a hotel, they’d just stay on his yacht which she said in the 18 months she worked there, she only knew of him to use it himself once.
I mean, can you just imagine having the kind of crazy money to buy a yacht in the first place, then just not f*****g using it?!
Custom cabinets made and installed only to be taken down and tossed in the trash because they decided the color they picked out wasn't the right vibe.
I was a waitress when younger I had a super wealthy guy who wanted to date me but I wasn’t having it. Said no, even after his $500 tips. One day I came to work and he was there with a lawyer and he bought the entire steak house and bar I worked in. Then said “now I own this place we WILL hang out” I guess he doesn’t take “no”.
He always told me “money talks and b******t walks” and every single person or thing has a price. He took me on trips, bought me a Benz and a small apartment. He would do WILD s**t. He was a very impatient person and sometimes would buy the line up of groceries for people just to skip the line? Just unforgettable insane things, I can list many! But when it ended it got bad, he paid people to follow me and it wasn’t good.
How could OP want to give it a try with such a guy? Not taking "no" for an answer is a big red flag.
I got stiffed by the super wealthy. They didn’t feel like paying me, so they didn’t. And they got away with it bc I was poor and powerless and scared shitless to take on someone who could whoop my a*s in court or even socially.
I tutored a kid once, math. The kid was a genius but the other moms got their kids tutors so I guess I was in fashion. One day she askes me to drive her downtown to "shop". She blew about 24K on diamonds, pearls, and costum jewlery. This was a monthly thing... I was charging $30 an hour and felt like an idiot...
My boss was kicked out of his house and staying at at an exclusive Laguna Beach hotel and wanted to leave. He had been drinking and the valets wouldn't give him the keys to his range rover when he wanted to leave. So, he called the dealership (he bought one every year or so and was a good customer) and had a new one sent over and drove off in his new range rover after it arrived.
True f**k you money.
The CEO of a major telecoms company was playing golf at a course he was a member at, and saw a cell tower near the course that he didn’t like the look of.
Next time he was there to play, the tower was in another place.
I belong to a middle class family. We had an electric pole in the middle of our land. Informed the department, put one application and they moved it. If we could do it, anyone can. But yeah we had to wait for 2 months
I’m a graphic designer.
I was designing an annual report for a very wealthy owner of a private equity firm and he wanted me to match the colors of the book to the interior of his private jet.
Note: this post originally had 40 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Said it before and I'll say it again. Rich people are the beginning and end of every single problem in this world.
All I see are a bunch of addicts. They are addicted to their wealth and power. They keep striving for more, and more, and more, and more. There is never going to be enough for them. How much of our precious dwindling resources will be consumed for some rich guys fantasy? So I can't read these stories anymore without going into a dark place. They are billionaire addicts consuming the world entirely. We need to at least stop admiring them and start treating them like the d**g addicts that they are.
I had a coworker and one day the topic of marrying for money came up. I'm a pretty sensitive person so not only would I not want to fake having feelings for someone but I doubt I ever could, I would just be so depressed. I was telling her this and then she told me she had a former coworker and friend from her dancing days that actually did marry a much older man for money. She said they had scheduled sex like once a week or something I can't remember exactly but that her friend got really sad and depressed everytime sex day came around.
I think we all get a little sad and depressed on work days. Even if it is only once a week.
Load More Replies...
Said it before and I'll say it again. Rich people are the beginning and end of every single problem in this world.
All I see are a bunch of addicts. They are addicted to their wealth and power. They keep striving for more, and more, and more, and more. There is never going to be enough for them. How much of our precious dwindling resources will be consumed for some rich guys fantasy? So I can't read these stories anymore without going into a dark place. They are billionaire addicts consuming the world entirely. We need to at least stop admiring them and start treating them like the d**g addicts that they are.
I had a coworker and one day the topic of marrying for money came up. I'm a pretty sensitive person so not only would I not want to fake having feelings for someone but I doubt I ever could, I would just be so depressed. I was telling her this and then she told me she had a former coworker and friend from her dancing days that actually did marry a much older man for money. She said they had scheduled sex like once a week or something I can't remember exactly but that her friend got really sad and depressed everytime sex day came around.
I think we all get a little sad and depressed on work days. Even if it is only once a week.
Load More Replies...
