Anybody know any truly wealthy people?
Not just new money, flash jewellery look down their noses types. People that are 2nd or more generation wealthy. What are their kids like?

I remember seeing a thing on telly about the Cheshire Set, a group of snooty spoilt harridans trying to out-botox each other, buying £900 dresses to go to coffee shops in and brag about their new Mercedes SLK.

Then they went to the other end of Cheshire and filmed some people who were 10 times as rich, but went everywhere in tatty jumpers and jeans and drove ancient land-rovers.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 17:48, 24 replies)

Shoes
Old vs. New Money innit?

Rule of life and it does work...despite possibly looking a bag of shit sartorially, the seriously wealthy and usually old money will always wear expensive looking shoes when in town. Rather than Manolos or Jimmy Choos I mean handmade ornate italian loafers or brogues that look as if they've been lovingly handed down since the reformation from father to son and buffed by the family retainer every other day. Try it.
(Oil Slick, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:02, closed)

I suspect that
if I shelled out for a pair of quality shoes (I suppose the kids don't have to eat) but then carried on wearing my usual George at Asda garb, the statement would be lost on the locals.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:11, closed)

Well you're obviously an arriviste then.
Flamin' riff raff....you mean you don't INHERIT your footwear?
(Oil Slick, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:15, closed)

That's the difference!
Old money types have patience. All their stuff is old so they get a good appreciation for time- "old" isn't last year's Porsche.

Patience also means that they're willing to wait while something is made rather than just buying something off-the-shelf. Even if it is expensive and takes a while, you'll not beat a properly made work of a craftsman in anything. Cars, clothes, swords, even food.

Private schoolies annoy me nowadays as they seem entirely disconnected with the real world. Not "they don't keep it reul, aii" disconnected, but "they don't know how to operate a toaster" disconnected. And even worse they don't know how to wait for things.
( uberdeity Wondered why Owen Lars knew of the term "hell" on, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:17, closed)

Old money will spend (so I've heard) a LOT of money on something they know will last forever, and then they will make it last forever. They recognise quality, they buy quality, and they keep quality.

New money don't recognise quality, so they'll buy something expensive and flash, get bored of it, buy something else, again and again.

Old money don't need to keep spending like that, because they bought what they consider the best already, and they don't need to show off buy conspiciously consuming; they're rich, and they know it, and don't feel the need to show off to prove it.

That's how I see it, anyway.
(Musuko, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:24, closed)

The company I work for makes flash cars...
And I've noticed a trend with the buying patterns:

Young chavs with lots of money buy the Range Rover Sport

Older chavs with lots of money buy Range Rovers

Old money buys a Land Rover Defender to drive around their estate for the next 30 years.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:40, closed)

So
who buys Freelanders then?
(Oil Slick, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:43, closed)

Good question
By my observations, it's chavs without lots of money, who actually wanted a Range Rover Sport but couldn't afford it.
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:52, closed)

Bah!
Quite fancied a Sport, its image is now tarnished forever.
(Oil Slick, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 19:03, closed)

It's a pity
really as it's a nice motor to be in and to drive, even if it is a Discovery wearing a different hat, and not a proper Range Rover.

The models coming up in a matter of months are quite entertaining though ;)
( rubberduck should only be used after consulting with your GP, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 19:06, closed)

Aha
I think we are probably on some fairly short degrees of seperation....will hang fire for the next models then!
(Oil Slick, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 19:20, closed)

hairdressers
and IT consultants.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 19:53, closed)

True
I've never seen an immaculate Defender. Scratched to fvck or covered in mud.
(ToysForBigBoys would spread her legs for Nick Clegg., Thu 9 Oct 2008, 18:50, closed)

same with a Toyota Hilux.
I've never seen one that wasn't battered to fuck and still running, with the exception of very shiny "Hilux Surf" versions.
( Mockingbird Practitioner of SCIENCE, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 10:47, closed)

Old money is cool
Walk into a bar, and there's two blokes there, one in labels, the other in a beaten up shirt & sweater. Wait util they leave; one goes to his SLK, the other to his Volvo 240.

Then watch where they go; the SLK bloke goes to a 5 bed new build on an estate. The Volvo bloke goes to the mansion house on the 200 acre estate the new build estate backs onto. Very different estates.

Old money doesn't need to impress, is comfortable in itself, and doesn't 'do' flash. It always stands its' round without showing off about it, and is amiable to everyone, other rich types or shop staff, regardless.

And if you were paying attention you'd notice that the old Volvo runs like clockwork, the shirts, worn as they are, are hand made in Jermyn Street, the trousers ditto Savile Row, and the brogues cost several hundred. Quality kit that lasts.

Old money is often good people. New, rarely.
( Fathter Puddytat Kill Kill dat widdle boid is mine on, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 19:42, closed)

I totally agree with this...
Whilst I was a Uni I happened to work in pub on the edge of what is known as "Millionaires Row" in Leeds, basically a road full of mansions and inhabited by footballers and the like.

Nowhere have I met a bunch of more arrogant, self absorbed people, flashing their cars and watches, little Ayesha coming in and demanding Daddy buy her a drink whilst she stands and flirts with all his mates in her Ugg boots, 'clicking' her fingers at me and getting annoyed when I don't instantly pour her glass of Chard'nay as I am serving somebody else.

Now I've returned to my old job at a fairly posh restaurant in Somerset, the customers tend to be those who are of the rich persuasion. Here though, I actually get Please and Thank You said to me, Lord Percy may pop in in his battered old Land Rover, having picked up the girls from their polo match, and they will stand at the bar and make pleasant conversation!

It makes a refreshing change, and although people may have their funny posh accents and slightly strange ways I am much more disposed to like people who although have much more than I will probably ever have, don't continually rub it in my face.

It seems though nowadays these types of people are dying out, and the next city slicker who comes into the restaurant and acts like a wanker, I may be tempted to throw their food in their lap, claiming I just fell over their wife's elongated Jimmy Choos.

That'll show them.
(Discombobulation, Thu 9 Oct 2008, 23:28, closed)

Thanks all
This question and it's responses have been a bloody good read. I agree with the general consenus that old money is more agreeable than new money. New money has a lot to prove and thinks it's material fads are the only thing that will show their own value. Lets hear more of Lord Percy and his cronies!
(muzzvsworld, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 1:15, closed)

my cousin had a lovely neighbour
young, well-spoken, polite, generous, but always dressed in tatty clothes and rode the bus everywhere. he'd do anything for you, up to and including helping to decorate. it wasn't until about 2 months after i'd met him that i found out he was a lord.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 2:08, closed)

Even with the 'well-spoken, polite, generous' and 'helping to decorate' bait; it would be cheap and nasty of me make insinuations about him being a 'Gay' Lord. So I won't.
( The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 4:05, closed)

i think he helped decorate
because it was hot, we were young ladies and we weren't wearing very much...
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Mon 13 Oct 2008, 3:29, closed)

As a (former) Mercedes bloke
You're 100% spot on.

The orange hued harpy trying to out-SUV her chums, usually dragging a clinically exhausted bloke along (who has to work 9 days a week to keep her in toys) were almost always (a) arrogant oxygen theives with the natural politeness of a spitting cobra in a really bad mood and (b) on finance.

The chap in the scruffy overalls and workboots who arrived in a van, and because I didn't assume he was pikey scum or ignore him (as the local BMW dealer did) bought a CLK Convertible on the spot, cash. And came back three weeks later for an ML55AMG. I think he owned a good proportion of Lancashire: Top bloke.
(osok Rebel without a clue, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 8:29, closed)

It's because
THe nouveau riche (yes, it's an 80s term, but still apt) are jealous of old money: they might be minted, but they'll never have the heritage and respect that comes with old money (I'm speaking generally here, of course there are 'old money' families that deserve fuck all respect).

Therefore, in a desperate bid to prove that they're rich and gain the respect of the 'old money' brigade, they flash the cash, buy up-to-the-minute fashion, spraytan themselves orange to give that "just back from St Barts" hue, and sit promiscuously in the most expensive restaurants. Of course, they only succeed in making themselves look like twats, whilst the 'old money' set bumble around their family estates, looking at their coats of arms, and keeping labrador-breeders in business. 'Old money' behave well, because they have no need to prove themselves.
(The Empress it seems you CAN polish a turd!, Fri 10 Oct 2008, 10:53, closed)

I disagree with most of this...
I wasn't going to contribute to this thread because I was very spoilt and went to a public school (not a cunt though!).

All this pandering to the notion that 'old money behaves well' is in my experience bullshit. My school was twinned with Harrow, and I knew some really wealthy blokes there, old money, one was a member of the Belgium royal family. And they were TWATS.

Either twats, or too stupid to be malicious or annoying and were therefore just blank. You guys remember that sloane on Big Brother a couple years ago, George? Knew him...huge twat, and his family own half of Surrey, have done for centuries.

I find often old money is just as annoying as new, but old tends to have more of a sense of entitlement, and god forbid if they ever want to marry or date outside their very restrictive social class.
(little fawn, Wed 15 Oct 2008, 0:28, closed)

We have to remember though...
The old money vs new debate is a sweeping generalisation, of course not all old money families are delightful, but in my own personal experience the "brats" of these families are a lot nicer than those of the new money persuasion.

I had the fortune/misfortune of attending a very private private school, but on a scholarship *shock horror*, and I got bullied A LOT. Surprise surprise the bullies were those who thought it hilarious that I didn't have the latest gucci loafers that their investment banker daddies had bought them, and one of the people who stopped them from doing it and became one of my closest friends, his father owned half of Devon, and he was rather close mates with those two blokes known as Bill and Hazza. Old money in the proper sense of the word I guess, and actually rather lovely down to earthish (as much as is possible) people.
(Discombobulation, Thu 16 Oct 2008, 0:32, closed)