What are the rich people you know like?

[Deleted]

Im curious as to how you can reconcile "family coming first always" with "working 70 to 80 hours a week".

work 12h a day for 6 days a week from 7 tot 7. Spend the rest of your evenings and weekend time over at your parents(in law), brothers/sisters(in law). Basicly think of whatever it is you do when you have spare time. And replace that with family.

[Vicivia]

If both of you could step outside of political ideology and parroting, you might realize that what you're saying is completely nonsensical. No one "vilifies wealth".

What is vilified is how that wealth is used, or how it's gained, by certain individuals and the frequent lack of repercussions for those people even as "average joes" are harmed by the actions and then foot the bill for fixing them on top of it. People vilify the "Stacking of the deck" that certain wealthy people engage in that has essentially killed social mobility in many western nations. People vilify the heartless at best and malicious at worst practices of "corporations" which are run by wealthy humans who never seem to pay the piper for what the activities the corporations engage in.

Claiming that people "hate the wealthy" is as ridiculous, misses the point, and attempts to simplify the topic for the sake of allowing certain parties to play the victim. It's no different than any other criminal or otherwise unsavory individual attempting to blame some form of discrimination or bias when they're called out on their actions.

While you are absolutely correct, specifically in the case of the wealthy you can see so many just assume that behavior extends to all wealthy people everywhere, as though once you cross the millionaire threshold you suddenly become a heartless machine intent on crushing plebeians by any means necessary. The bias can even be seen in some of the comments in this thread.

I have met many wealthy people in my life despite still being 24, and they are still just human, they just don't have to worry as much about the basics in life like food, housing, paying bills. Many of them do live in a "bubble" of sorts, but even those tend to still understand that life is different for them and they can be quite generous as a result (though that can often be presented EXTREMELY awkwardly). Every so often you find those that are assholes about their wealth, but they are both in the minority and typically frowned on by the REAL uber wealthy. At a point, the legacy starts to matter infinitely more than making money or what other people think about them on a day to day basis, and acting like a pompous prick just makes you a pompous prick, not special.

[Theinquisition]

"Normal" perhaps, yes. But I think we'd be naive to think that economic status doesn't shape peoples views and such. No matter where on the spectrum you fall.

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Well, I also wonder if we're all not talking about different economic levels here.

Most people posting seem to just be talking about "upper middle class". When I talk about "wealthy people" that I've interacted with, I'm talking about people very near the top of the spectrum.

I work with people who are multi-millionaires and on occasion billionaires (I'm in the Insurance industry). They for the most part are normal folks. They tend to be a bit more driven usually and can be demanding, but nothing crazy.

I think there is a tendency for people to associate immorality with being wealthy at times, and it's silly.

[Deleted]

They are okay, at least the one in our area. He is rich rich, really likes cars, you know, multiple ferraris. Seems like a nice fella, a bit old if anything.

[Deleted]

Goes both ways, really. People tend to paint poorer individuals in the same way.

A lot of that probably just boils down to your experience and exposure in life.

Just ask yourself on a Saturday afternoon while shopping, how many of the people around you are nice, and how many are idiots. I'm sure you'll at least realize there are idiots around you, and because you notice them, they seem more prominent than all the nice, decent, quiet people. Those few are just setting the tone at times.

The same goes for rich people. The thing I've learned is that some very nice people I've known have much more money than I thought. You usually realize somebody is rich, when he's behaving in a way to make sure people notice. And those people can be unpleasant.

So when you're poor, rich people seem spoilt, and when you're rich, poor people may seem like scum. At least, if you don't care about people as individuals and concentrate on the ones who annoy you. And as intolerance goes, those are likely people you can't identify with.

[Deleted]

Assholes, mostly. Pompous, braindead assholes who look upon not so rich people like those are trash.

Tall poppy syndrome?

[Raiju]

Normal people.

I know shocking right, they have the same feelings, priorities, and value many of the same things everyone else does.

I associate with many wealthy people on a day to day basis due to my job. They are the same as anyone else.

A lot of peoples priorities is a stable income so they can afford to pay for things that month. This isn't really an issue for the wealthy I know. 1 example of a colleague who works at our fairly low wage job but also rents out 2 houses and has $500000~ banked on top at the age of 26. She seems normal enough until she willingly drops a job she likes to go try to live with a guy she met on a cruise a couple weeks ago.

That's a form of mobility many who'd be considered poor struggle to afford. It's very different throwing your job away to be with someone when you know you can live off your investments/savings for a significant portion of your life comfortably to someone who can maybe stretch out 6 months (or even 1 month) before they're unable to afford their next meal.

That's the main difference I'd pinpoint in all rich people I know. They exercise their ability to significantly waste money (or the potential for it) safe in the knowledge they don't need that money and would prefer the other option.

And I'd say that does make their priorities very different at times.

[Vicivia]

Goes both ways, really. People tend to paint poorer individuals in the same way. (The big difference there is that I generally don't see anyone jumping up to defend a homeless guy.)

A lot of that probably just boils down to your experience and exposure in life.

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Certainly that happens, because that's just how humans are. We tend to experience something from a member of a group and paint everyone in that group with the same brush.

That said, I still don't see any of this, "People vilify hard work and success!" nonsense. I'm sure many people tend to stereotype the wealthy - probably in large part due to what they see in media representations - but that's no better or worse than we do with every group.

Agreed, but it doesn't change that we do it, and that the bias is there. Even among people who know and like some wealthy people you see it. It's the same with racism, "THAT family is OK, but the rest of them are terrible". It's just a divide with socioeconomic lines instead of racial or ethnic ones, and that extends to many people's view of the wealthy the same way terrorism completely dictates many people's views of Islam or Arabic culture.

[KrotosTheTank]

I have heard stories of rich parents sending their daughters to summer camps that promote motherhood. Are the rich people you know liberal or conservative? If they are conservative do you think should let loose and enjoy more alcohol, partying, and entertainment?

I mean, could you have started off more biased against conservatives if you tried? You know that the wealthiest of wealthy are very often liberal? Just look at voting demographics. you're speaking about people as if they are creatures in a zoo. I mean, if you turned this around and it was asking about any homeless, and what they are like, and if any should be less loose and enjoy less alcohol, etc, it'd be safe to say the reception of your thread wouldn't be as warm.

I just don't get the vitriol for wealthy people. So many act as if the only way to make money is to take it from someone else, which isn't true. Are there cheats? Sure, but then again, you have thieves of all income brackets. Why do we classify the wealthy by the worst among them?

90% of them are genuinely great people. 10% are pretentious assholes.

I can say the same thing about all income groups, just interchange pretentious with "fitting adjective here". Assholes come in all shapes, sizes, and incomes...


FWIW, i make over minimum wage, but am far from wealthy by any metric.

[Dangg]

I'm rich and I'm a great person.

[Typhoria]

I went to a private school for middle and high school. There was definitely a noticeable difference with how they acted based on their parental income bracket.
500K+ Kids had more of a superior attitude acting like they owned the place. (Their families had contributed lots to the school)
Kids at 250-500K (mainly doctor/lawyer) typically had higher confidence, sometimes stubborn but usually pretty chill. Below 250K were typically the same as any public school.

[Deleted]

But it wasn't! I remember one of my coworkers saying - once you're working 50 hours a week, you're going to have no life anyway, so there's not much reason to only work 50 because you won't get ahead - you need to work 70.

There is definitely some truth to that, the mindset seems familiar. I'm glad I work in IT where you can make decent money with 40 hours a week. Which might have something to do with the fact that qualified people are sought after, so companies have realized it's in their interest the keep them happy.

Another thing might be that the finance sector appeals to the addictive type. Squeezing out everything of others and yourself. Not judging anyone, but you won't find many engineers voluntarily min-maxing something. There are lots of clever engineers who don't even earn nearly what they could, simply because they can't negotiate.

So yes, character has something to do with getting rich.

[Dangg]

8 figures is a billion dollars. I think you're off by 1.

You sure about that?

10 000 000

[LaplaceNoMa]

Just like poor people.

And OT, what a strange question. Rich people, especially self made, rarely are "loose". That's why they are rich in the first place.

Dude, this subforum is swarming with people that believe that 'wealth' is like a natural resource, and the 'rich' are not the ones who create it, but rather evil men with bags of money who steal it from the poor.

[Zan15]

I have heard stories of rich parents sending their daughters to summer camps that promote motherhood. Are the rich people you know liberal or conservative? If they are conservative do you think should let loose and enjoy more alcohol, partying, and entertainment?

unfortunately all the rich people i know inherited their money, so they are aholes so full of themselves taking credit for what their parents or parent did before them to make all that money.

they also feel they are being mistreated, most of them have a victim mentality.

[FobManX]

From my experience, the wealthy people I know are actually pretty well grounded and humble. Its their spouses and children who are total dickwads.

[Theinquisition]

From my experience, the wealthy people I know are actually pretty well grounded and humble. Its their spouses and children who are total dickwads.

Agreed. If I had a nickel for every entitled brat or spouse I've had to deal with, I could buy a new car.

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Dude, this subforum is swarming with people that believe that 'wealth' is like a natural resource, and the 'rich' are not the ones who create it, but rather evil men with bags of money who steal it from the poor.

Pretty much.

Many think that just because they are rich, that somehow they exploited someone to get that wealth.

[LaplaceNoMa]

Wait, are you suggesting that the rich actually "created" that wealth?

The whole of an economy generally rests on the backs of the workers/consumers. This idea that somehow the wealthy are the fuel for everything is extremely misleading.

Yeah, sure buddy. Still, I really advise you to read up on how economics actually work instead of wasting your time on charlatans like Marx.

[Rotted]

Richest I've met personally works high up in a famous car manufacturer, makes stupid money. Only met him once seems down to earth, his cleaner also used to work for us in the mornings, she was saying one day she split some red wine while ironing his shirts and ruined three of them,

Apologized and owned up straight away, while offering to pay for them. He laughed and said not to worry as each one was 300 GBP

The next richest person I know is nice enough, and if you walked up and asked for x amount of cash he'd give it without a heart beat. Just bought his daughter a house to support her and her kid, bought his ex wifes house and paid off her massive debt to help her. But he knows how to be tight with it, but I gather thats pretty normal

[Torrasque]

The rich sides of my family tend to be separatists of almost every differential facet while being snide, snobby, and self-absorbed. Generally, they are out-of-touch with the reality of the world that doesn't directly effect them and don't mind utilizing broad generalizations to sweep such realities under the rug. They know that they are mostly out-of-touch, but don't care about it either, so long as they keep their money.

That said, I know people that also started with nothing and make a lot of money currently, after years of utilizing whatever opportunity, skill, or career that they used to get there. Generally, they are much more open-minded and concerned with the state of the world and often network and pool their collective resources to better their local communities and promote opportunity on a grander scale outside of merely themselves. I would say that nearly all of them are the "progressive" type of crowd.