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80 Things Ultra-Wealthy People Spend Money On That Their Employees Are Exposing Online
Rich people aren’t just a class apart from us mere mortals because of the money they make; it’s more so because of how they choose to spend their wealth. This is often a secret from most folks, but the employees of the affluent usually know exactly what they’re using their moolah for.
That’s why this list is full of workers exposing the truth about the wealthy people they were employed by and the shocking things they spend on. These secrets might blow your mind, disgust you, and in some rare cases, might even make you want to become rich just to buy the exact same things.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I worked a front desk at a financial office. We had this rich Microsoft couple. They were so nice. Very under the radar rich. Multiple houses but drive basic cars kinda thing. They let one of the young advisors stay at their vacation home for his honeymoon. They donated a ton every year. The wife would regularly sneak cash into peoples purses, a real reverse pickpocket. They were just regular kind people who made good decisions.
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#2
I was a live in nanny for a family that mom was a trust fund baby. They are very low key, but would spend a ridiculous amount of money on food (fresh pasta imported from Italy) and decor stuff. All the windows and doors for the custom home they built while I worked for them came from somewhere in Europe (don't remember why they were special). Also the whole individual nanny thing. They had me living in and someone else coming on the weekends for their only daughter. Once they had another one, they hired a nanny just for her. They are amazing people though. They helped me a lot. They payed for me to go to school while I worked for them. Last year I had a baby and they asked me to open a college fund for him and deposited $10k. They have these friends that were struggling financially and they helped them buy a house. They have helped basically every person who has worked at their house (paying for school for a caregiver, finding a job for the daughter of one of their nannies, etc, etc).
#3
I’m friends with a couple of UHNW individuals, all of whom came from very humble backgrounds and ended up excelling in algorithmic trading. One couple, both of whom are east asian and grew up quite poor, have a net worth probably approaching $1B. The things they spend money on is nuts, it’s like the movie Richie Rich.
For example, neither knew how to drive, and they decided they wanted to learn, so they went out and bought a Lamborghini. Turns out it’s wayyyy too much car to learn in, so it stays parked in the garage of their $15M dollar house.
Speaking of their $15M house, it has an indoor pool in the basement. This is in a very high cost of living area where square footage is at an absolute premium. But, unfortunately, neither of them know how to swim.
At the end of the day, though, they are still the same people they were before becoming rich. They’re nerdy and in love so despite having a massive mansion with like 10 bedrooms, they spend most of their time sitting side by side in the same office at the same desk, working.
Very few people are born into wealthy families, while others have to work their entire lives to make it happen. According to Financial Samurai, normal people may find it hard to think of themselves as rich, even if they are making a lot of money; that’s why it’s important to set a benchmark for what is actually considered affluent.
It’s possible that being in the top 1% or 0.1% income means that an individual is technically wealthy, as their peers may not have the same earning power. It could also be when a person has set up enough passive income sources that they no longer have to worry about money coming in, or work 24/7 just to earn a buck.
#4
I do construction for the top 1% in Hawaii. These are multi-million dollar mansions. A couple I renovated a bathroom for had everything made custom, no brand names. The wife had a single style of purse made from any animal you can think of. She had one in giraffe skin, zebra skin, stingray skin, etc. The Husband had a single style of golf bags made from alligator skin but each one was a different color. Then they just had multimillion dollar sculptures and paintings just laying around. Pretty interesting. Their bedroom had 7 deadbolt latches that would lock with a single lever. They definitely were hiding some sketchy stuff.
#5
Former assistant at hedge funds and family offices of millionaires and a couple billionaires.
One ultra rich boss hired egg donor and 2 surrogates and multiple full time nannies so he could have 2 kids the same age, without the bother of dealing with mama drama or parenting.
One old man boss (RIP) had a recurring delivery of powdered Sea Cucumbers as a supplement, and I assume from what I read that it was used as a "natural virility meds."
He also spent around $100k in landscaping each year but quibbled over small charges here and there.
One billionaire had me spend hours on the phone with customer service people to argue down his phone bill, spending more money on my time than he saved on the phone bills.
It's super interesting to see what their individual priorities are when money is near limitless.
Rick Murray 3 hours ago
Maybe for him it was the principle? The phone company was *wrong* dammit!
#6
I worked as an estate manager for a family with four properties across the US and Europe.
Duplicate wardrobes.
They hated packing luggage. Whenever the husband or wife found a pair of jeans, shoes, shirts, or workout clothes they liked, they would buy four of the exact same item and have them shipped to each house.
When they traveled between homes, they carried literally nothing except their phones and wallets. Every closet in each house was organized identically by staff so they didn't even have to look around for where their stuff was.
Also, fresh flower services. A local florist came in three times a week to replace every single floral arrangement in a 14,000 sq ft house with fresh cuts, even when the owners hadn't set foot in the state for four months. Thousands of dollars a month just so a completely empty house smelled like fresh hydrangeas.
Being rich can change how a person views the world or even the people around them, and Mr-Stingy mentions that folks who have just become wealthy may struggle to adjust to their new standard of living. They might burn through a lot of money to change the scale of their life, but they should also earn enough to keep up with the increasing demands of that wealth.
On the other hand, the ultra-rich might not even keep track of how much they spend, and could retire tomorrow if they wish. At this stage, there is often no concern about just surviving; the focus is more on growing the wealth, and sometimes even comparing oneself to others.
#7
My neighbours aren't filthy rich, but very wealthy business owners. They regularly host big parties just for the hell of it, bringing in DJs, caterers and cases of top end champagne. The number of wait staff they bring in for a house party is insane. I reckon they'd easily spend upward of $20k every time they decide to have friends over.
Rick Murray 3 hours ago
Define "wealthy". It's possible that a sum like that could be a week or two of investment interest.
#8
Having a concierge doctor available 24/7. Kid has a fever on a Saturday night? No problem-Doctor comes right to the house. No 3 hr waits in an ER or late night trips to CVS.
#9
Surveillance tech marketed as cybersecurity. Especially post-Luigi.
The c-suite execs of the world are paranoid as hell, and spending obscene amounts of money on surveillance. Working in cybersecurity the last few years has been wild.
Lady Chelsea (LadyChelseaoftheVoid) 5 hours ago
I would rather protect people who actually deserve to be protected.
Even though you might think that being rich and wealthy are two sides of the same coin, Kasia Manolas explains that they are actually different concepts. She says a rich person is mostly concerned with material things like a flashy house, a nice car, and showing off to other people.
A wealthy individual, on the other hand, doesn’t need to boast about their money; they simply enjoy the benefits of it on the down low. They might also invest their money and focus on securing their future and their family's. Beyond material things, a wealthy person may improve their quality of life by investing in their health, mental wellbeing, and loved ones.
#10
Probably convenience more than luxury. Things like private staff, drivers, last-minute travel arrangements, premium concierge services, and paying to have someone else deal with incredibly mundane problems.
At a certain level of wealth, you're not really buying things you’re buying back your time.
#11
Piano tuner. A client bought a 5 story brownstone on a block in Boston that is full of buildings that are usually 5 apartments per building. During the renovation, the guy’s wife decided she didn’t want an elevator in the building, so they tore it out and bricked over the elevator shaft openings. A month later, she changed her mind and they had a new elevator installed. The fireplace in the 5th floor office was built in the 1600s in England and was removed and flown to the US to be installed in their house.
Lee Gilliland 3 hours ago
Importing pieces of old buildings has a long wasteful history. Check out Alva Vanderbilt 's Fifth Avenue mansion.
#12
There is a rich ski town near where I live. A neighbor does fresh flower arrangements for many of the homes there. She goes up once a week to replace all the arrangements. Many of these homes are only used a few weeks a year at most, but they have fresh flowers year-round in case the owners decide to visit.
My sister also does Christmas decorating for some of these homes. A few years back, she decorated the home of a famous Hollywood couple. They don’t always visit for Christmas, but they have it decorated every year so they can come up on a whim if they decide to.
Lee Gilliland 3 hours ago
I used to do Christmas decorating for the rich. Many of my peers would make their entire year's wages in a month - then spend the rest of the year looking for something that would suit their clients the rest of the year.
As you can probably see from this list, rich people sometimes do crazy things and go to extremes just to get what they want. Tae Kim says the driving reason behind this behavior is that affluent folks often don’t feel like they have enough and want to keep getting more stuff for that sweet dopamine hit.
They might also constantly compare themselves to wealthy peers and feel pressure to conform to high society’s standards, which can slowly chip away at their money. It’s also important to understand how much greed and ego drive this mindset and push rich people to extremes.
#13
Plastic surgery - so much of it. They will literally FIND ways to get plastic surgery even when there was nothing left to be done. Then they’ll look at their kids and get them plastic surgery. The whole family looked like lizards.
#14
I worked for a billionaire who'd drop more on a last-minute private flight than my annual salary. Just to skip an hour of security lines.
#15
I met my friend playing an online game. I beat him, then we became teammates, ended up spending every day together for months while he unraveled his life as a 1%er as I gained his trust. He buys $50K watches like we buy groceries. "I GOT NEW WATCH!" (me: figures...) "I send you Rolex!" (me: keep your Rolex send me a job ya f**k, this is an almost daily occurrence ) One day he called me walking back to his palm jumeira house from the mall "MY TESLA GOT RAN OVER!". He explains that he parked his model X in the parking garage and someone lost control of their 8 wheeled Mercedes monster thing and literally rolled it on top of it crushing it. "It's ok though - we shook hands he gave me some cash, I can go order a new one".
Michael Largey 6 hours ago
"He buys $50K watches like we buy groceries." No, you buy groceries because you need to.
Most people think wealthy folks splurge on unnecessary things, but J.D. Roth points out that many actually use their money to buy back their time. They want every hour of their life to count and have value, which is why they don’t hesitate to spend on house help, cooks, extravagant transport, and more.
This kind of outsourcing, backed by big spending, gives them the energy and space to enjoy other pleasures of life that working-class individuals might not have the luxury to. It reinforces the idea that ‘time is money,’ and many rich folks take that concept to a whole new level.
#16
I recently started working for a small family owned business, and found out that the owner has multiple (double digits) Porches 911s.
#17
I went into my former boss’ closet once to drop off her Oscar dress that I’d just picked up amd counted 12 birkin bags. There were some kellys and other styles too, but 12 birkins. She probably had more wealth amassed in her closet than is attainable to the average American in a decade of labor. .
#18
They spend wild amounts on vacations and weddings. Like very normal to pay for 10-15 family members to all go to Disney and stay in a high end resort. Weddings have hundreds of guests and a small army running them. Like 30k on flowers, 100k on food, 60k on renting a venue. 80k engagement rings. Many weddings for wealthy people will easily be in the millions.
Apart from all the crazy things on this list that affluent people might have spent their money on, there are also absurd creations that wealthy folks have bought before. Mika Ayla reveals that a chain mail armor was created for a guinea pig named Lucky by his owner, Sean McCoy of Fairfax, and it ended up fetching a whopping $24,300.
Beyond odd material purchases, wealthy folks also splurge on their pets, and the $125,000 designer Ashera cat is prime evidence. Because it is a rare breed made from a mix of an Asian leopard, an African serval, and a normal kitty, it fetches such a high price.
#19
I only know one multimillionaire. He's a complete tight a**e for himself on the day to day but very generous for others.
He wears the issued company uniforms, uses the same tea bag for the entire day, takes porridge with water and drives an older car. Not flashy at all.
He's also a landlord and rents out homes below market value - sending gift baskets at Christmas, ensured his staff got bonuses and a couple of times I got a bonus that was almost an additional years salary.
Genuinely a really nice guy but pretty rare as far as priorities go.
#20
Paying full time staff just to manage returns for online orders they never opened.
Michael Largey 6 hours ago
If you need to get your money back for things you change your mind about, are you really super rich?
#21
I am an accountant and have done the books for very wealthy individuals (net worth >$500M). I suppose I could say the lavish weekend Aspen/vegas trips where they blow $20K, but I dont really find that surprising.
What surprises me is their political donations. When you consider how hyper aware these people are of their image and project to others how empathetic and caring they are (they pay their staff well, give them jobs and gifts or even sometimes loans to buy a house, etc).
Then they donate lots of money to the worst and most hateful politicians imaginable. People that promise to deport the very staff members working for them. It's gross.
Michael Largey 6 hours ago
It is the worst and most hateful politicians imaginable who make these people's wealth possible.
Rich people do tend to spend a lot of money on fancy things, but there are some items that they would absolutely not waste a dime on. According to Heather Taylor, affluent folks usually don’t spend money on tech and devices just to show off. They tend to invest in quality products occasionally and stay low-key to protect their wealth.
They also don’t just splurge cash on lottery tickets, unlike middle-class people who might play so they can be rich one day. Wealthy folks see it as a wasteful purchase and believe that, in the long run, the average jackpot player might spend more on tickets without earning a single thing.
#22
The weirdest thing was gumball machines. She had her own 1940s/1950s candy shop/soda jerk in her house and had basically a museum of antique gumball machines that did weird stuff: like put on little puppet shows, or had bi-planes fight all the way down, or any number of odd mechanized contraptions do something silly and quirky. I've never seen so many gumballs my life.
She also had a model train that ran around the crown molding of her house with a little steam engine that puffed real steam and the background - running her entire ground level - was carved wood cityscapes of all the major cities of the world complete with lighted windows and sunsets so when it was evening they would glow and the little train's lights would go on. Choo-choo it would go as it wound around the house.
She was something else. Like a character from a Harry Potter movie mixed with Mary Poppins. She also had giant house cats, the biggest house cats I've ever seen. They were not friendly.
#23
I used to travel a lot for work. I once dated a pretty weathy woman when I lived in Qatar. Granted I was given a pretty decent wage for this job myself but on our first date we went to a restaurant where she literally ordered every dish under the sun, picked at it, then left the rest to go to waste.
I come from a pretty poor childhood so had to sneak off to the “bathroom” and ask the hostess that if the staff here doesn’t eat the left overs, box up the rest for me and I’d be back to pick it up. Took some home and passed the rest off to random people I saw on the street on the walk home.
She did this consistently when we went out to eat.
#24
A friend of mine was in a LTR with someone whose parents made it big in silicon valley and were extremely wealthy as a result. They lived a great lifestyle, but were humble, good humans at the same time and they knew cash tips were more valuable than digital tips. $1,000 per delivery person if something like furniture or an appliance was delivered, similar for contractors working on projects, $100 per food delivery, 50% minimum for restaurant/bar service staff plus direct tips to kitchen staff. They also apparently gave really, really nice (cash) bonuses and threw a helluva holiday party for their household employees + their families.
Everyone hopes to be a millionaire someday, and the odds are good with enough work and effort. The only problem is that once you amass that kind of wealth, you might be tempted to spend the money on some of the weird things mentioned in this list.
If you don’t believe that’s true, we’d love to know what you’d actually spend your money on if you had a lot of it, and if you know any wealthy folks who splurge on crazy stuff. Do share your stories in the comments below.
#25
Oh, ive got tons.
My company did work for a $200m place in bel aire. The owner spent $50m to excavate the entire underside to build a servents floor. There were like 15 spiral stairs put in so they could go from this new lower level to anywhere in the house without him seeing them.
There was also a separate staff drive, parking lot and security entrance you couldn't see from anywhere on the property.
I recently drove 6hrs for a meeting at a house, it lasted a couple of hours, then I drove 6hrs home...the client wasn't there just their house manager, we got the job because we showed up.
My boss got called by Elon Musk at 3am PT he was upset about something that was totally not our responsibility, but Elon said he was sending his own people to help... At 8am some poor kid shows up and stayed at the office doing nothing for 4 months just so they could tell Elon he was there. Also, no one knows how Elon got my bosses personal mobile number.
#26
Casinos. Tens of thousands of dollars at the casino.
And then when they get "free rooms" or "free parking" or "free tickets" from the casino, they tell you about how they get all this "free" stuff. And then go back to the casino and spend ten grand at a poker machine.
#27
Layers and layers of staff, essentially to buy back your time. One of my friends, whom I met through college, is the kid of a billionaire, and the first time I went to their house, I was genuinely surprised by how much staff they had. There was literally someone for everything. They have fixers, discreet problem-solvers or high-level connectors who handle sensitive, urgent, or legally gray issues. To my knowledge, they’re never found via a public directory or advertisement. They are accessed strictly through tight-knit, word-of-mouth networks within elite legal, financial, and social circles. Also throwing away perfectly good things because replacing them is easier.
#28
Children. There is currently a wave of ultra wealthy men (and one or two women) who have been paying women to birth their children. Usually surrogates they hire to carry the kids and then they hire nannies to raise the kids. Some ultra wealthy men have been found to have like 50 to hundreds of different gestational surrogates bearing their children. Elon Musk seems to be paying various women he's encountered to give birth to his sons (only boys) and then he pays them a stipend to raise the boys. We only hear about it when a woman in question is having issues and sues him. But there are supposedly a large number who are not public.
#29
Dude bought season tickets to the Raiders, in the club section, when they moved to LV as an investment. He’s a football fan too, but he told me the other day he’s never been to a game. He basically gives the tickets away. The cost doesn’t matter to him.
He also has two sets of Astros season tickets to give away to people.
He is in sales, in a sense, so it makes sense. Just a crazy amount of money to spend on season tickets. He also has Texans and Rockets season tickets.
Michael Largey 5 hours ago
If he's in sales, the cost of those tickets may be tax-deductible as client entertainment expenses and so cost him very little net..
#30
Our friend and neighbor works as the chief of staff to a very wealthy family (dad is a billionaire) who owns a national furniture chain (I promise, you have heard of it). One crazy thing the dad does is that whenever they travel, he has a brand new mattress - his preferred brand/model - shipped to his destination so that he can sleep on it wherever he goes. Then they dispose of it when they leave. He also drinks one glass of wine a night and then chucks the rest - typically a $500-$1000 bottle. She also has to fly the family dogs (on their G650 jet) from here in ATL to their place in the Hamptons twice a year (and back).
#31
The billionaires i was around basically removed themselves from anything an ordinary person would do. Laundry? Who the f**k has time for that? Everything needs to be set, using their servants, at their disposal.
One thing that was intriguing was this guy i was shooting the s**t with, lives in riverside ca btw, and he SPECIFICALLY used only a certain type of toilet paper. Like it’s even better than dude wipes or whatever. Triple ply- 4 ply? Nah son. It felt like “an Angel cleansing me”. Yes he’s a supreme Christian. seventh day Adventist. This was privately made in Japan. Is he kinda gay? No s**t. Just in the closet. Tell me something about a politician i don’t know.
#32
Working in the richest gated community in my county the first thing i noticed is that every block had multiple work trucks on it. The amount of contractors, landscapers, lawn mowing crews, delivery people were there on a daily basis was mind blowing. The private community was complete hustle and bustle during the day.
#33
I work in luxury menswear and one of my clients flew in on his private jet solely to come to my store and shop on a Sunday afternoon and flew right out after.
#34
Dated the daughter of ultra wealthy last year. Simple things like every inconvenience only happened once followed by a solution that can be solved with money. Power went out? Paid to have Installed the top of the line autonomous Generac the next day. Need to take a horse to the vet? Borrow a trailer? No way. Buy it the next day. Gym too far away and too inconvenient? Whole home gym in basement. There’s a certain level where $10,000 is like$10- $100 and so on and so on.
Money can’t buy happiness and they never were satisfied but money can solve some problems and shield you from many of life’s inconveniences. They did have a certain lighter than air vibe about them. Not worrying about running out of money is very specific aura and weightlessness that shows outwardly.
#35
I once spent some time with a sheik in my city.
I had a friend who was his friend through a private airline.
The top floors of the hotel were sectioned off for his entourage and guests, myself included.
The suite was supplied endlessly with whatever our hearts desired, exclusive toiletries, alcohol, deserts, treats etc.
I suggested the top restaurant in the city which was sectioned off for us approximately 15 people.
One of everything on the appetizer menu was ordered as well as deserts including any mains of choice x2 so everyone could sample and
exclusive wines and liquor.
It was constant refresh on the table, leaving tremendous waste of which nothing was taken back to the hotel.
The shopping neighbourhood was closed off for exclusive shopping in premier (Gucci, Cartier, and so on )boutiques for us to select whatever.
#36
I worked for a wealthy woman, maybe $50M net worth, mostly inherited real estate. We used to perpetually remodel her home. After we installed a safe room accessed via her guest bathroom she had a cool bronze monkey installed to hold the toilet paper. She paid a UGA art student $3,500 to make it. She also bought a rare book with illustrations of bugs from a museum and then paid a wallpaper guy to cut the pages out and glue them to the wall.
One time our contractor refused to paint a room full of pecky cypress so she hired her own painter. After they painted it lime green she hated it and we had to pay a guy $50,000 to chemically dip the wood and peel the paint off and then we reinstalled all the wood on the walls.
We painted the interior walls in the rest of the house with a regular roller and she hated the texture so we skim coated every wall with drywall mud and painted it with a lighter nap roller. Didn’t like it so we did it again. And then again.
#37
Art
I build and remodel mansions.
Art work worth more than the house is left lying around like cheap posters.
#38
T hey have a whole a*s staff and tip you 500$ for hanging and leveling a painting for 12 minutes.
#39
I’m a record producer and work with some pretty top flight artists and the amount of food they order that’s arriving from delivery services all day is insane. By the end of a recording session there’s enough food packaging/plastic waste to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool. They mostly order organic sustainable food.
#40
Back in the day we did a phone signal install at Virtu back when they were up saled Nokias and Blackberry's. Each phone was something like 5k starting going up into the 100k+.
They have a special 'concierge' button that allows the owner to call up the call centre and order anything. People would call up for a taxi from the airport to a hotel, but the taxi would be a helicopter or yacht. From speaking to people they could order or book anything and they'd find a way to organise it for them. One guy had bought an island through it at some point. It just got put on your montly bill and paid.
From looking now the companies gone down hill and possibly an app.
#41
There is also the other side of the coin….those that get paid enormously but don’t bother to do anything with it. I work with portfolio managers, several making $20mm+ annually, and some of them literally rent in the apt complex down the street and walk to work, or have a 15 year old Accord. They almost never take vacations and dress off the rack. They are in it for the academic vigor and some remain into their 70s+. Some donate a lot. They’re all off of the radar.
#43
I used to valet at a members-only club and the thing that got me was how casually they’d lose track of thousand-dollar items. One guy left his watch in a car and didn’t even notice until we called him two days later. Money really does change what feels like a problem.
#44
Like $12k on liquor just to stock the bar in their new house, boat etc. they didn’t even drink. all of their properties just had a fully stocked bar.
#45
$100k for a 2 week vacation, yet their “Mimi” who raised them, is still renting an low income apartment and cleaning houses in her mid 70s. But wait, they do buy them expensive souvenirs, during their travels and take them to my clinic for Botox.🤷🏻♀️SMH.
#46
I knew the link brothers in the 90s( links beef jerky). They had many houses when I worked for them. But for the ones in Wisconsin ( where the beef is/was grown and where at least one factory is) I used to clean for them with my mom. My grandparents took me to South Dakota to watch them build a bar.
They are all avid hunters and they pay several times a year to go hunting in some other countries for whatever they want. They've got literally hundreds of taxidermied animals in the 4 or 5 houses I've been to. Zebras, bears, monkeys, a polar bear, birds, you literally name it and they have one or more.
Except it's not hunting. They hire helicopters and shoot whatever from the air. It's like fish in a barrel.
All the houses ( except for their original hunting "shack", it's like a 5 bedroom cabin) had giant walk in closets, in the wall vacuum where you pull on a hose and vacuum around with it, giant bar, giant fridge full of wine and beer.
One of them got in trouble for dumping stuff into a lake in the 90s or really early 2000s. They are terrible people and the only jerky I get from them comes from a family member who works at the plant. They get it for free often.
I haven't kept up with them since I was a teen though.
#48
Fresh flowers. The amount they spent on fresh flowers being delivered and arranged in the house, every single day, dwarfed my weekly salary.
#49
Endless amazon deliveries. So many people become hoarders.
I work in quite wealthy homes and every tenth home looks like an unboxing party went till 2am.
#50
Art. A canvass with 3 or 4 colors of oil, geometric shapes. Collector apent 350,000USD easy on it without batting an eye. I couldn't believe it. While we installed it on his wall, the collertor looked at it admirably, murmuring "It speaks to you, doesn't it?".
#51
To add a counterpoint to this thread, boy do I love it when a rich person CAN'T get their way by spending money. That in some situations, their money can't give them what they want and their desire goes unmet. Of course, I'm thinking of this in terms of some jerks I've come across, and it's delicious when they just don't get their way. .
#52
I was a bartender at a upscale bar in my town where some very wealthy ppl came to drink on our island and a lot of them just bough cars, were swingers, did d***s and gambled and these people were from wide age ranges and they all seemed to do the same thing. Was interesting getting to know them.
#53
Time…. Rich people spend their money on their time and maximising it and reducing b******t like they don’t argue the gas bill it’s worth them just paying it or paying someone else to argue it for them.
Secondly They don’t care about the result, they care about the principle of not being treated as a cash cow. Seen some rich mf drop 500k on a lawsuit about 20k just because it was clearly a rip off because they were rich.
#54
I am an early childhood educator. Definitely expensive kids clothes. Most of my students over the many years wear target, old navy, carters, etc. And there are students with the LL Bean, Tea Collection, and Hannah Anderson clothes. Much more than I’d ever spend on my kids’ clothes. But fine. But then, I once had a student wear a Burberry jacket once. A $900 jacket. On a two year old. At daycare.
#55
Nothing.
One of my close friends made their money from being exceptional at what they do, not from being a narcissist like most very wealthy people. Normal well adjusted people who come into a lot of money usually stay normal well adjusted people.
They own property but normal property and they rent it out below market rate, they live in a mansion but it’s tasteful and in the suburbs - and who wouldn’t if they were rich. They own nice cars but they’re effectively expensive upgraded versions of SUVs/sedans that normal people drive, there’s no lambos in the driveway. They still drink the same beer and wine and eat the same food as us regular folk 99% of the time. If you passed him on the street you’d think he’s a regular unremarkable mid 30s dude, not someone worth $100 million+. Tech bros on 1/10th what he is stick out way more.
Most people know someone who got a fat inheritance, for every one you know about there’s probably 3 you don’t. Money doesn’t change some people, it just makes life a bit easier. .
#56
I work as a casino dealer in the high limit room most of the time. My players spend a ridiculous amount of money at my table but on top of that we tend to have conversations about things they like to buy keep in mind i’m struggling to get by month to month and they’re dropping 50k on a bracelet they liked just because they’re able to.
#57
Lawyers to fight other billionaires over things worth less than the legal fees. I have watched two people burn $2M in litigation over a $600K yacht slip out of pure spite. Rich people don't sue for justice, they sue for sport.
#58
I worked at one of the richest people in Canada's house this year. The amount of money they spent on us was surprising. They had a big cooler with drinks and some extremely fancy/expensive treat for the crew everyday.
#59
Clothing, buying and wearing an outfit once is way more common than you’d think. Or buying something wildly expensive and only wearing it a few times, like a 600$ t-shirt that is literally plain white lol.
#60
A friend of mine is a personal valet for an extremely wealthy family and one time his bosses very expensive watch just stopped working. Instead of getting it fixed he just brought a new one. $80,000 dollars.
#63
Rugs, curtains and lamps! Contractors always telling us to be careful around those 3 things. $15,000 lamp that looks like it came from fred Meyer. I don’t get it.
#64
Not my story, but someone I know once dated a girl who was from an incredibly wealthy family. The family liked him a lot, and hoped things would work out with their daughter (she was a bit of a black sheep). He was told that they would support a proposal. He was also told that if he joined the family he would be expected to participate in family events whenever required. The couple would be given a home on their massive property, and he would be given a personal stipend of $10K/mo. spending money. (This was 40 years ago!) He was also informed that they knew people had certain “desires” and that he would be free to explore whatever he wanted with whomever he wanted, but that their legal staff should always be informed, not to prevent anything, but just to have a strategy in case a situation needed “management”.
He didn’t marry the daughter. Don’t blame him! That life sounds opulent but incredibly unfulfilling.
#65
The wealthy people I work with get tons of things for free. Work pays for vehicles, insurance etc. Vendors throw perks at them. Go to sponsored golf tournaments and get free shoes, clubs etc. It's pretty wild actually.
#66
Decorating/new furniture. One of the properties we work at redecorates every 2 years maximum. When they do this they change loads of furniture so it matches the new decor. Half the s**t just get thrown in a skip, we're talking oak coffee tables, nice lamps, bookcases etc.
#67
When I was in college, I was hired to be a “babysitter” for a bunch of kids at a CEO’s house (CEO of a household name company.) All the parents were there, private chef, and some of the kids’ individual nannies. I was there to play games with them, help them with crafts, watch movies with them, and generally be fun and engaging entertainment. Made more money in one day than an entire semester working retail part time.
#68
I’ve known a few very wealthy people in my time and they were very adept at spending other people’s money while hanging on to their own.
Old boss for instance lived in a company mansion, with all the bills paid for by the company, he drove a company pool car, a top of the range Jag but he had exclusive use of it.
He bought everything with company credit cards, food, clothes, holidays, meals out, literally everything was on the company card.
Nett result of this was his living expenses were zero while his substantial wage was paid into overseas accounts to keep it away from the tax man.
No wonder he was a billionaire.
#69
Here's one that will blow your mind: They don't wait in line at amusement parks. Ever.
And I don't mean they use fast passes or any normal methods you might be familiar with. They get an entirely different experience in which they are escorted through the back areas so they never have to encounter average guests. They enter the rides through special access spots normally used by staff. Many times when rides are stopped for no apparent reason, it's because some special guest is getting on where you can't see them.
My son works at one of the major parks and sees this all the time with celebrities. He told me that the staff are under strict orders for how they interact with these guests, and deviating from them means instant termination. He once saw a group of staff get fired on the spot because they wanted a selfie with one of these guests.
And in case you're wondering, this treatment is very expensive.
Michael Largey 5 hours ago
This is an example why the French revolutionaries knew the guillotine was the only remedy.
#70
I did some finishing work in a house in Boulder, Co. the chandelier in the master bathroom was made of silver and had come from a former US embassy building in Berlin. Price: 250k
They were a very kind and generous couple. They took the entire construction crew who were building their 11 digit home, to a Broncos vs NE game. Seats were amazing.
#71
Saving time. I used to sell cell phones during college. We had to sell insurance for phones too. For people that were obviously lower income, we used to emphasize protecting their investment.
“If you broke this $1000 phone it would be a disaster!”
But for obviously wealthy people that never, ever worked. Instead, “if you break your phone I’ll just hand you a new one” closed so many sales.
#72
All the top directors at my company are in peak physical prime, I dont know how they do it. Work 7 days a week, on call every day, and fit as you can be. Maybe they spend loads of money on nutrition and home workout gear.
#73
I knew a guy that sold his company to Google. Lives in coastal CA and the craziest thing to me is he pays to heat his pool year round. Thats pricey AF!
#74
My brother-in-law is pretty wealthy. Just yesterday, he told me he bought a $60k car, cash, for 'nanny use.'
Then he went on to give me a lengthy justification of why that kind of purchase 'just makes sense' and all I could think was "yeah, buddy, can't relate.'.
#75
Calligraphy. I’ve worked events for a billionaire family who has a calligrapher on staff but for large events uses a team in New York. Everything is calligraphied which I’m being told by the red line isn’t actually a word.
#76
Some interesting stories here. What I found funny is how many of them come from people who work in construction. I worked in construction for about 15 years, so I’ve seen my fair share too.
I once rewired a whole house for a married couple who ran their own law firm. They were genuinely lovely people, but their son was obsessed with quad bikes and had a different one for basically every day of the week.
The whole family were really nice and the kid was respectful, but I remember being amazed that being able to afford seven different quad bikes was even a thing. They always made me food and recommended me to their friends too.
What fascinated me most was their level of “FU money.” Their garden was literally the size of a field.
#77
I work in neurosurgery. Our surgeons make close to $2mil per year.
It's not so much what they do spent money on and more so what they DON'T spend money on. Making that kind of money you'd think they'd buy their staff lunch every once in a while (I'm the next highest earner behind them and make less than 10% their salary). You'd think they'd take nice vacations. You'd think they'd buy their staff a Christmas gift or something.
They are the cheapest f*****s I've ever met. We work our asses off so that they can primarily stay in the OR, which is where the big money is made. Yet they do NOTHING for us. In the 3 years I've been there the surgeons have given back to the staff a total of like 4 or 5 times. Usually just a catered lunch during nurses week and that's all.
#78
I never directly met him, but the older gentleman who owned our company (and several others) lived in Australia but liked to have Christmas at a ski hill in our province in Canada with his kids, grandkids, and various hangers on. For this purpose he owned a large chalet and would pay our receptionist and her husband (who also worked for us) to go up to the chalet, set up the tree, present, and decorations, stock the pantries, fridges, and wine fridges, and generally get the place ready. I should point out that well the ski hill was in our province, it was still a good 6 hour drive away in good conditions. One year, after all the setup was done, they changed their mind last minute and didn't come. It just seems like such a massive outlay just to set up Christmas when every year I was nickle and diming my vacation days hoping I could afford the time to see my folks this year.
#79
I knew a lady who would bring her car to our car wash every single day. She acknowledged that the car wasn't even dirty. She just felt compelled to have it washed daily.
An extremely wealthy man I knew hoarded costco items in every room of his filthy, mouse-infested trailer house. I still wonder why he chose to live like that.
#80
We used to wire up a massive, concert level sound system on a portable stage in a rich guys backyard, about 6 times/year. He had several houses, and he would book an artist and have the stage set at each house. He would usually decide that morning or afternoon based on weather where he wanted the party and that was the setup that got used.
Our location never got chosen, so we would dismantle everything and haul it away having not used it but still got paid the same. Nobody cared what it cost, the bills always got paid. Often there would be specialized equipment that was artist specific, instrument rentals, etc.
Specs for nerds - we used 16 boxes per side of EAW KF850 speakers with 24 SB528 subwoofers. Old school massively heavy point source system. The house had dual 400 amp 120/208v 3 phase disconnects with cam locks in a little shed that had been installed specifically for party power. We would use one for audio and the other for stage lights (incandescent ruled the world at the time). Elsewhere there was another pair of panels for catering trucks and tour busses.
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Lila Sanchez 55 minutes ago
My last salary was $8750, ecom only worked 12 hours a week. My longtime neighbor yr estimated $15,000 and works about 20 hours for seven days. I can't believe how blunt he was when I looked up his information, This is what I do..... 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐏𝐚𝐲𝟏.𝐂𝐨𝐦
Lee Gilliland 2 hours ago
You ever notice the comments keep up until about #50, where everyone gets bored?
Lila Sanchez 55 minutes ago
My last salary was $8750, ecom only worked 12 hours a week. My longtime neighbor yr estimated $15,000 and works about 20 hours for seven days. I can't believe how blunt he was when I looked up his information, This is what I do..... 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐏𝐚𝐲𝟏.𝐂𝐨𝐦
Lee Gilliland 2 hours ago
You ever notice the comments keep up until about #50, where everyone gets bored?
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