The Surprising Lifestyle of Many Billionaires: “Ridiculously Rich People Buy What's Cheaper”

The world's richest people often use common consumer products that can be found in city supermarkets, and are sometimes more thrifty about them than ordinary people, according to the testimonies of those who have worked for them.

The perception of the lifestyle of many millionaires is often wrong. Source: Freepik.com

The United States is home to the world's most billionaires (more than 900, according to Forbes), but unlike other cultures, many of America's ultra-wealthy avoid ostentatious displays of their wealth, and the things they use in their daily lives tend not to be luxury or exclusive products.

Multimillionaires at the supermarket

Their modest lifestyle is recounted by many Americans who entered the homes of US multi-millionaires and recounted their experiences.

“Rich people mostly buy the most expensive versions of everything to show off their wealth. Ridiculously rich people buy what's more economical because they don't need to show off their wealth and usually tend not to waste money.”notes an American, in response to the curiosity displayed by other countrymen about the places from which they dress and the products they actually use the world's billionaires.

A question on Reddit asking whether the very rich prefer elite versions of mundane things like toilet paper and toothpaste received a flurry of responses from Americans who claim to have lived alongside America's billionaires.

“I met Bob Hope's daughter. Bob Hope had recently died and was considered the richest man in California. His daughter wore the most run-of-the-mill, regular department store clothes. No attitude, no face. Just a normal person, except she had no financial worries.” says an American.

Another reported that he had been to the homes of several American millionaires and noticed things that he could find in any mall or drug store. What they have in addition to ordinary people is a little more free time and less worries about the things they have to do in a day, he believes.

“You never have to do the laundry, clean the dishes or cook. But you have everything available if you want to do it yourself. You don't have to worry about food: you have a personal nutritionist to create the perfect meal plan for you, and a chef prepares everything fresh for you. You have a personal trainer, gym and even a pool, all tailored to your goals. As a bonus, you have quick access to any surgery or treatment you need.”he adds.

Some multi-millionaires have maintained a modest lifestyle

Another American recounts that the millionaires' bathrooms he has visited usually have better versions of cosmetics and grooming products, and they have employees who make sure they don't miss anything. However, some prefer to live modestly.

“I've been to the homes of very rich people, some with over 100 million. Each of them had a very modest home and an equally modest lifestyle, which surprised me. Probably because they all had very humble origins. One guy in China had a fortune of over 500 million, but he flew economy class when he came to the US to visit his son.”says someone else.

Another American claims to have been a guest in the home of a woman with an estimated fortune of $30 billion.

“It's a beautiful villa with lots of space and a great waterfront position, but basically nothing more than you'd expect from a successful doctor or lawyer. The only unusual thing was an elevator that connected the garage to the kitchen area. But she had at least six such houses spread around the world, and she casually lends them to her friends.” he states.

Some American billionaires are wary of the prices of consumer products such as toilet paper and other bathroom items. Others, on the other hand, kept their initials printed on them, adds another.

“The difference is not the hygiene products in their homes, but the fact that they have at their disposal a real constellation of medical professionals who take care of every area of ​​their body”another American thinks.

A netizen recounts that his brother, who works in IT, became a millionaire, but continued to buy clothes from affordable supermarkets such as Costco.

“The super-rich are not a monolithic group. I'm sure some people love to have staff on hand for everything, including the most mundane things. The ones I know made their fortunes in their lifetime but kept their lifestyles. My brother personally buys all his essentials, like the rest of us: toothpaste, toilet paper, etc. The wealthiest people I know (probably in the hundreds of millions) they dress just like everyone else and drive crappier cars than you'd expect. They do their own shopping and everything else.” says this one.

The difference, in his opinion, is that I don't feel like spending $1,000 on a dinner, whereas he has to budget for months before using that money.

Luxury products, but also common things

An American woman claims to work as a property manager exclusively for ultra-wealthy clients with fortunes of at least $20 million, but sometimes reaching a billion dollars.

“Some live in 1,500-square-foot houses and drive Toyotas. Some own multiple properties and own Ferraris and Rolls-Royces. Some fly economy class, some fly private. Some wear hoodies from Costco, some wear seemingly the same hoodie, but somehow it's $900. I remember the first time I placed an order for $11,000 worth of candles. It made me sick.”she says.

Another says she cleans the villas of several millionaires and noticed they had the same things she could afford.

“Of course, they also have many expensive things: mahogany furniture, make-up, clothes, use our services as often as they want or go to events as often as they want,” states this.

A multi-millionaire dazzled his employees with his modest lifestyle, the ordinary food he ate and his cheap car, but at the same time he set himself apart from them with the private jet provided by his company.

“I cooked for several billionaires. They had housekeepers, chefs, gardeners, property managers, groundskeepers, drivers. Every time I had to go to their house, there was no knocking on the door or anything like that. You just walked in and did your thing, because there were always more people working there. There was never any peace or privacy, and I found that quite depressing.” says another American woman.

Some of the richest people do not give up stinginess

Billionaires don't look at prices, buy only quality products, but often throw away much of the food they no longer consider fresh, says another.

“My family has been working for very rich people in San Diego for years. These people have so much money that sometimes they don't know what to do with it, and because of this their perception of money is very distorted. Because of their strange way of looking at money, they end up not wanting to spend on mundane things, and they save on ordinary things. They don't even buy cleaning products, and my cleaning family sometimes has to make do with old tools or damaged (mops, brooms) or dilute the products”says someone else.

An American woman claims that her family's fortune exceeds one hundred million dollars, but she lives her life like an ordinary person, without housekeepers, personal assistants or drivers, the only exception being the chef who is called to cook for private events.

Some Americans have tried to find explanations for the modest lifestyles of some multi-millionaires in relation to their wealth. The desire to remain discreet, the lack of the need to feel the center of attention, financial discipline, the luxury sought in things other than consumer goods, but also the religion that condemns opulence are among the reasons why many wealthy people avoid extravagance when it comes to shopping.