People Are Sharing The Quirks And Habits Of Millionaires And Billionaires, And I Didn't Expect Some Of These
We all think we know what the super-rich are really like — but, when you hear firsthand accounts from the people around them, there's bound to be a few surprises in store.
Redditor u/sunnybestie recently asked the people of Reddit who have worked for multimillionaires or billionaires, "What is something different they do from ordinary people?" Remember, these aren't tips on how to get rich — it's just how the rich are:
1."Years ago, a friend of mine’s dad was trying to sell his startup company and picked up an investor at the airport. He was proud of his classic Rolls-Royce and noticed the investor looking around, playing with the air vents. So he said, 'Is this your first time in a Rolls-Royce?' The guy said no, but it was actually his first time in the front seat."
—u/LanceFree
2."He managed time very differently than anyone I was used to. Our meeting with him began precisely on schedule, lasted 30 minutes, and there was no chit-chat. Before this meeting, we had a pre-meeting with his admin to discuss expectations. The admin explained that we had to be on time, there was no introductions, small talk, or marketing, and we should be prepared to answer technical and financial questions quickly and succinctly. If there were numbers, we had to know precisely which page of the material had the information. When the meeting took place, we were brought in exactly at the start time. Within 30 seconds, he was asking us all manner of questions. I had to field technical questions that appeared to be asked not so much for whether my answer was right, but that I didn't hesitate. I also gained a healthy respect for my manager, as he was SHARP and answered quickly and accurately."
—u/frank-sarno
3."I worked for a billionaire who was an ordinary person. He stood in the line to use the copy machine just like the rest of us. He wore a suit and tie every day but never wore a belt. After working for him for about 10 years, I finally asked him why he doesn't wear a belt. He said that his pants stayed up without one."
—u/backbaybilly
4."She hired a private chef for a casual Tuesday lunch with her girlfriends. $2k, just like that."
5."My son's friend's dad was one of the founders of Capital One. The mom had a secretary for play dates, and the dad would fly to London to watch Tottenham in his permanent seat. Their London house was next to J.K. Rowling's. You couldn't tell by the way they dressed or their cars, but their vacations were the big difference."
—u/dcgradc
6."They have no fear or social barriers when addressing anyone."
7."One old-money rich person treated me to a fancy meal, and she was super polite and nice and tipped well. What struck me was the decisiveness and confidence that everyone there would cater to her — and they did. She wanted x dish that they didn't make, and they made it. At the end, she said, 'I want a cappuccino with a design on it.' I've gotten cute cappuccinos in my life, it doesn't even cost extra, it just never occurred to me to just ask for everything I want all the time."
8."Vet bills for their animals. My aunt and uncle's last dog needed dialysis, and there was no vet where we live that could provide it. They did their research and discovered that the best treatment in the country was available in London. A flat in Kew was rented for the six months the dog would need treatment for, and my uncle would stay in it for one week a month while the dog had his treatment, then travel back home for the other three weeks."
9."I nannied for millionaires. It was new money, and they had both grown up fairly blue-collar. They were very down-to-earth, giving, and kind. Their children, however, had no rules, structure, or expectations inside of the house. Their previous nanny gave them whatever they wanted. That changed when I stepped in. I firmly believe kids need to know how to clean a bathroom, wash dishes, sweep a floor, and clean their rooms. It took about a year to get to that point, but I can rest easy knowing they’re both currently in college and know how to clean the toilet. 😂"
10."I was installing a floor in this Texas castle, and there was this guy who kept coming over to check out my work. I thought he was a laborer of some other trade, but he was friendly, so we just kinda started talking about life and shit. I got to a point where I needed a hand to finish the install, and when the guy got there to help, the first guy came around checking out our finishes, and the guy helping me snapped up and started getting really attentive. When the guy walked away, I asked him why he was tripping out, and he told me that was the client. He was a billionaire and owned all of the property that your eyes could see. So one thing they do is go about their lives like a normal person."
11."My friend was a pilot for a very large aluminum business. The brothers who owned it would fly for business meetings, and my friend would make all the arrangements, including car rentals. These guys would drive off and go to meetings or dinner, and sometimes they would just leave the rental car behind and ride with others to change venues or whatever. He tried to tell them the rental doesn’t stop unless the car gets returned. They didn’t really care. If it was any level of inconvenience, they just moved on. More than once, he had to go back and find a car based on their recollection and get it returned."
—u/inbrewer
12."I grew up in a very wealthy family who had credit cards but never chose to use them. My dad used cash almost exclusively. Our family offices were in a bank's high rise, and once a month, my dad would get cash delivered up to his office from the bank by a security guard. It would come in a sealed clear plastic envelope with a sheet of paper certifying the amount delivered. If he was making a big purchase, he would receive that amount rounded up to the nearest thousand. If I was lucky enough to be in the office at the time, I would get $100 for peeling off the excess cash from the stack. If we were traveling, it wasn’t uncommon for him to request a couple hundred thousand dollars at a time. I never once saw him step in to a bank lobby."
13."I know one billionaire very well — I have dinner or lunch twice a month with them. They absolutely work nonstop. It’s constant and relentless, and I have no idea how they do it in their mid-60s. They also travel all the time; their schedule is insane."
14."I worked in a role that reported directly to a billionaire for seven years. The most interesting thing was how he parsed and prioritized information. He placed zero emphasis on anything reported by media, social media, Google, Wikipedia, or anything on the internet. If he wanted real information, he'd think nothing about dropping $250,000 to get access to real researchers, engineers, or experts for a consultation to seek their opinion. Sometimes it was related to investments. Other times, he just wanted to settle who was 'right.'"
—u/clave0051
And finally...
15."The owner of my small company is incredibly wealthy, and he drives a tank on property all the time just for the fuck of it. He also owns a very old, gorgeous estate from an extremely influential family, and he lets his employees rent it out for events. My husband and I are throwing an anniversary party there in 2024. We have the entire estate and all 10 bedrooms for a whole weekend, and it isn’t costing us a single dime. If I didn’t work for the company, the cost of the venue would be upwards of $25k for the day. I never expected someone so incredibly wealthy to be so down to earth and generous. It’s exactly who I would strive to be at that level of wealth."
Got your own stories and observations? Disagree with any of these? See you in the comments!
These entries were edited for length and clarity.
