16 Non-Obvious Signs That Go Beyond Quiet Luxury And Scream Someone Is Extremely Wealthy
Some rich people are obvious about their wealth, while others are more discreet. And if you've ever been curious to learn more about the world of the wealthy — and how to tell just how rich someone is — the internet's got you covered.
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In the past, people on Reddit have shared the extremely subtle ways they can tell someone is ~super wealthy~, and it's pretty fascinating to pick up on. Here are some of the most eye-opening responses:
Note: Submissions were pulled from this Reddit thread by u/ues1bredev, this thread by u/Ac3Dude, and this thread by u/UnwantedJason.
1."In my experience as a server in a fine dining establishment, they treat you like a normal human. Not sure if my boss coined the term, but a '$100k millionaire' will treat you like you're just 'the help' and make you feel like less of a person."
2."Friend worked in real estate. They said they identify people with money/good credit by looking at their tires when they pull in. Clean tires with good tread left on them, probably a good prospective client, so the senior staff should handle it. Dirty tires, almost bald, hand it to the new guys because it's gonna be a ton of footwork to get them approved."
3."I used to have a running buddy who was very rich. For me, the non-obvious sign were the books on his bookcase. They weren't books to be read — they were investments. He told me once that if somebody tried to rob his place, they might go for the big TV, but they should go for the bookshelf."
4."Real generational wealth keeps an extremely low profile. They have no digital footprint. They actually pay people to keep information about them off the internet and out of any publications. They will keep a low profile, driving cars that blend in. Nice, reliable vehicles, but nothing too flashy."
5."It can often be the least obvious person in the room. Years ago, I was in a small town near a larger agricultural city. The whole area is either wheat or wine grapes. I was in a tiny little brewery having a beer, and there were six customers in the room, including myself. I was wearing a suit and tie, two young men, about 30, wore what I’d call very nice business casual, a mid-aged couple drove up in a new Lexus, and an older guy wore muddy rubber boots, a Carhartt jacket, and looked like any other of hundreds of farm hands one would see in the area taverns. The man who owned the brewery and was a client of mine came by, nodded at the old guy in the Carhartt, and said he was one of the richest men in the area but still worked alongside his guys when he was around."
"He left in a mid-'90s Ford pickup that didn’t have a straight panel on it, his usual daily driver. In the area I’m from, that is a common story."
6."One thing I have noticed that separates the millionaires from billionaires is their kitchen. When I was staying at a certain private home, the time change made me wake early, so I went to the kitchen for some coffee. When I walked in, three of the staff stood up and said, 'Can we help you?' then led me to the room where coffee was set up. They exchanged looks."
"Really rich people have people who cook for them, and the kitchen is more like a restaurant kitchen; not a place where you hang out, but a place for the staff to hang out — or, at least, it's very caterer-friendly."
7."Really wealthy people don’t need to 'prove' they are wealthy. If you're insanely wealthy, a $500k private yacht charter isn’t special. For people trying to be rich, they flaunt it to show how wealthy they are. Really rich people are not desperate (generally) for your admiration because they ARE wealthy. Their friends don’t care if you're on a $500k-a-week charter — they probably are, too."
8."Casually having expensive hobbies. Stuff like sailing, skiing, and golfing. Especially in areas where those activities aren’t as accessible and if they’ve been doing it for a long time. You live in the midwest, but you’ve been surfing since you were 10? Probably rich."
9."The only rich people I know are so obsessed with money that they look at the price of EVERYTHING. It’s like they have to get the best deal or they were had."
"In college, I was a nanny for a family that owns a very well-known national food chain. They were filthy rich in a way I can’t even describe, yet they had me going to the supermarket with coupons every day. I had to buy things on specific days of the week that they were on sale, and often was sent back to make returns. At the time, I couldn’t fathom why they would care so much about saving a few bucks that was literal pennies to them, but I now understand how money is a mindset."
10."I’ve known a number of rich guys that you’d never know it by the way they dress. They dressed like any other suburban dad. The only thing that set them apart was their watches. They all had nice but not flashy watches. They were all supposedly worth at least $50 million."
11."When they went to a good university, but are kind of dumb."
—Anonymous
"I went to private prep schools all my life. I'm doing this just to see what people say. But in reality, firsthand, this is so unbelievably accurate I can't even tell you. I did a paper for my economics class in college about how wealth plays into elite university admissions. And firsthand, I've seen many friends go ivy who wouldn't even get into state schools based on test scores."
12."[They move with] ease as in confidence, calmness, and a general sense that everything will be OK. I remember seeing this wealthy guy on an important day when people were coming to his house, and something in his house broke, which would cause most people to [freak out]. He was essentially just like, '...Huh, oh well, I'm sure we have a guy for that.' Like, he wasn't even going to spend any effort on registering that as a 'problem.'"
"It got fixed in time, of course."
13."I have some relatives who are doing quite well for themselves, and they live in what I only half-jokingly call an art gallery. They have such lovely art. Everywhere you look, it's very high-quality original artwork. Absolutely beautiful. They wear normal clothes and drive 'normal' (but nice) cars...but their homes..."
14."Luxury station wagon. I grew up in a rich area, and these families are so wealthy, they don’t need to flaunt their wealth; they can drive a $80k station wagon and act like it’s nothing."
15."Their shoes are always in excellent condition — clean, polished, etc."
And finally...
16."For lots of things where there's high-end and really high-end, most people wouldn't recognize the ultra high-end stuff unless they really paid attention to it. Like...watches. The first thing most people think of is Rolex, and lots of people will run out and buy one once they feel successful. If you ever see something like a Voutilainen, it'll fly so far under the radar that you won't recognize it as a sign of being rich."
"Even in handbags, there are the $3k models that everybody recognizes and lots of people aspire to — and the $40k models that are only recognized by people with enough money to spend $40k on a handbag."
What are some other non-obvious signs that someone is truly wealthy? Let us know in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
