15 Stories Revealed the Hidden Part of Wealthy People’s Life

Some people try hard to make it seem like they are rich. They wear flashy clothes, post pictures of fancy things on social media, and live a life that isn’t real. But how do truly wealthy people really live? We looked into this and found different stories — some about being greedy, others about being honest, as well as tales of loneliness, innocence, and even some wild choices.

• A girlfriend worked as a nanny for a wealthy investment banker and I could sometimes stay over. Nice house with a garden in a posh area, a small manor in France, a flat in NYC, art on the walls, but the guy wore torn underwear and added water in his shampoo like a miser while buying antiques at auctions. His kids had the latest game console but when my girlfriend asked what they usually had for dinner all they knew was instant noodles and crisps, and McDonald’s on weekend.
  I saw his 10-year-old kid pestering him while he was on the phone and when he finally asked the kid “Yes! What do you want?”, the kid replied, “If you give me £20 I leave you alone”. The father went back to his conversation but pulled a £20 note out of his wallet and gave it to his kid without looking at him. That resumed perfectly the whole relationship he had with his kids. © visualthings / Reddit

• I lived with a girl in college who was Crazy Rich Asian rich. She moved in for the company, otherwise her parents were just gonna buy her a house. She always wore this mini bag style purse when we were going out, and it just looked like a small plain black bag to me.
  I asked to borrow it for a concert one weekend because they had a super strict bag policy that none of my other bags met. She was like, “Oh sure, no problem.” I loved it and ended up looking it up to buy one for myself, and found out it was more than a year’s salary. And she let me take it to a music festival without a second thought. © chubbybunn89 / Reddit

• My sister is a flight captain for an insurance company, meaning she flies their private jets. She was sending me her old crib for my first baby and had it packed on one of the jets that was making a trip to Teterboro Airport. I went to pick it up; everyone at the airport was super nice and accommodating and directed me to the complimentary refreshments.
  My sister explained that it would have cost about $8k to have the crib shipped that way so they probably all assumed I was rich or worked for someone super rich and was having an heirloom crib shipped. © EatYourCheckers / Reddit

• I used to date a girl a few years ago who had an “aunt and uncle” who were friends of the family. Over the summer, I was invited to stay a week in their house on the northern coast of Maine. The property was massive with a private beach and all but easily explained as it had been in the family for generations.
  I love cooking and was asked to prepare dinner for everyone on the third night of whatever I wanted to make, I was told to make a grocery list of whatever I wanted. Being on the coast and all, I wanted to make some whole cod with some family-style sides. I thought they were just being nice and going grocery shopping since I was not familiar at all with the area.
  The moment I knew these people weren’t just well off but wealthy was when the aunt placed a phone call and 3 hours later a seaplane landed at their dock with produce picked that day and then a boat pulled up with the cod I asked for. © PlentyLettuce / Reddit

• I know a lady who bought her kid a horse, then they bought the horse a horse for company. Then they decided they might as well build a stable. They now have about 8 horses and run an equestrian school. Imagine having the money to turn a child’s whim into a business. © TheLordofthething / Reddit

• When I lived in New York, I worked at a highly regarded hotel, the kind where you would see celebrities every other day. One time, a guest rented out a honeymoon suit just for their cat. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I am writing this anonymously because I have only shared with 2 of my friends that my boyfriend’s net worth is over $250 million. There is no way to tell. When I met him, I was immediately attracted to his incredible sense of humor and intellect. He was dressed very modestly (I did not even notice his watch because it is not flashy; it is a $60,000 watch).
  We went on a few dates before I visited his home, which is not opulent by any stretch of the imagination. I even treated him to dinner a couple of times. He drives a SmartCar in Paris (where he lives most of the year). When he is in the States, he shops at Ross, and other discount stores, and always goes on the day that he gets a senior discount.
  He loves coupons, and when I show him ways to save extra money. He proudly wears a bracelet that I got him on sale for $160. On the other hand, he always flies either business or first class; owns over 100 properties in London, Paris, and Miami; has houses in those three cities, as well as in Cannes; owns a yacht.
  He is a decent, honest, and down-to-earth man who treats everyone with dignity and respect and gives much back to his community in terms of time and money. He brags about me because I have a career and I own my own home and greatly admires my intellect and thoughtfulness. © Unknown author / Quora

• I unknowingly had dinner with a billionaire couple. Afterward, I was told about their wealth and I realized that their clothes were bespoke. Everything fit like a glove. Their nails were perfectly manicured. The wife was not wearing normal jewelry.
  They insisted on picking up the bill. They tipped $100 on a $180 receipt. They were both legitimately nice people, and I genuinely enjoyed talking/dining with them. © fossilnews / Reddit

• In my early twenties, I was a bartender at a super fancy yacht club. I was an incompetent employee and got the job entirely through knowing the right people. The millionaires always dressed super nice and humble-bragged about their success. The billionaires wore sandals and clothes from Target and Walmart and didn’t stand out at all.
  This one dude sat at my bar for 2 years with a 5 o’clock shadow and cheap t-shirts and just talked with me and the other bartenders about school and everyday life. Found out after 2 years, that he was the richest guy in there and had been giving the owner of the yacht club huge loans to keep it afloat. It still went under. © Nightmare_Tonic / Reddit

• I do pet service for some very wealthy people, so I go into their homes. Obviously, big houses are nice and luxurious, but I’ve been floored by some of the apartment units that exist. These places are inside seemingly innocuous art deco buildings, through some ratty back elevator and side door to the place, and then inside they are multi-floored, absolutely gorgeous homes with space for several families. Usually, it’s just parents and maybe one or two kids, and pets obviously. Just always assumed apartments were the cheap way to live and owning a home was luxury. But have been proven wrong. © squishman1203 / Reddit

• I had a friend who taught guitar to the son of a very wealthy family. When my friend first visited their house, the parents led them into a huge room filled with many, many instruments, which the dad said was enough for a whole symphony orchestra. After the lesson, my friend asked why they had such a huge collection of instruments. The dad said that no one in the family played any instrument, but that he and his father had an interest in classical music so they found joy in just collecting the instruments. © Vincent_Gitarrist / Reddit

• I work alongside someone worth ~$750 million. They are 25 years my senior. He dresses smart casual as a base, then accordingly for more formal occasions. He notices all details of your attire including fit, watches, jewelry, etc. but would never comment on them. He talks to the public voice (kind, demure, pleasant). Then a talk to equals voice (blunt, aggressive, clear, incredibly fast-paced).
  He is rushed but not frantic as he controls everyone’s time around him. He allows almost zero people into his inner circle, but once you are in, he wants you to consume knowledge at the same rate as him. Constantly sending articles, studies, and reports at all hours of the night and wanting to discuss them in detail almost immediately thereafter.
  One thing I’ll also mention is he is action-oriented. When he has his “business hat on,” he is not asking for my informed opinion. He is asking for my direction. If I say anything, it has to mean that I stand behind it 100%. Period.
  I can be wrong, but I can’t be ambivalent in any detail, large or small. I vividly remember using the word “assume” and his reaction was the most fierce and real one I’ve ever experienced in business. Taught me a lot. © Shloops101 / Reddit

• Many years ago, I worked as a driver for a gentleman in Greenwich, CT. He was wealthy (millions) but one afternoon, on very short notice, he took me on a trip to Florida with the heiress of the Annenberg fortune (billions). We traveled with her and her entourage in her private jet from a private airfield.
  When staying at her residence, I remember meeting her and getting the feeling that she was deeply lonely. I’ve never sensed it as strongly as anyone else. She was quite nice to me. She spoke directly to me and paid attention to my answers.
  Something subtle I picked up on was how the people around her were very rehearsed — nothing natural ever happened. Ultimately, despite her extraordinary wealth, I felt quite sorry for her. © digentre / Reddit

• One of the signs of really rich people is amazing, unnoticeable plastic surgery. My cousin and I met a woman who looked like she was in her forties and discovered she was in her late sixties. Seriously, she looked amazing. She was the same age as my aunt, and we were floored when she happened to mention her age.
  My cousin and I compared notes afterward, considered some of the stories she briefly mentioned, and realized she was enormously wealthy. That’s when we realized that she had some very subtle plastic surgery. She wasn’t attempting to look like she was in her twenties, but rather aging very gracefully. © KayakerMel / Reddit

• I work in a niche industry that brings in a lot of wealthy folks. The wealthiest people I’ve helped are among the kindest customers I’ve ever had. One of them turned out to be the owner of the company that we get 1/2 of our product from. I didn’t know until I toured their facility a couple of years ago and was introduced to their CEO. She remembered me and commented on how knowledgeable I was with her products.
  It was a feel-good moment! I was seriously in awe, though. A woman CEO of a major international company still did her shopping! And not only did she listen to what I had to say, but she also took my advice too!
  She has an entire staff of people like me but liked my ideas enough to implement them. I would work for her in a heartbeat if she wasn’t 1.5 hours away. It was a good reminder for me to be kind to my customers. Sometimes in the busy season, I get a little cranky. © guinnypig / Reddit

Money can sometimes change people and lead them to make choices that hurt others, like marrying for wealth or constantly cheating. Greed can drive actions that damage relationships. On the other hand, growing up in poverty can also leave a lasting impact. Living in a difficult environment shapes how people see the world, often leading to struggles with trust, self-worth, or even how they handle money in the future. Both wealth and poverty can affect a person’s character in deep ways.