If you’re hunting for the top 10 facts about the unsettling end of Seth Rich, you’ve landed in the right spot. Below we walk through every twist, clue, and controversy that has kept the case alive in headlines and whispered conversations for years.

Top 10 Facts About Seth Rich’s Death

10 The Robbers Did Not Take Anything

Seth put up a fight when his attacker approached, leaving bruises on his hands, knees, and face. The scuffle ended abruptly when the assailant turned the gun on him, delivering two shots to his back.

Police reports from the surrounding blocks documented a spate of six robberies in the weeks leading up to the incident. None of those prior crimes ended in murder, but investigators believed Rich was the next victim in a string of break‑ins gone awry.

Curiously, nothing was taken from Rich’s body. His father, Joel Rich, emphasized the oddity, noting his son still wore his watch, retained his wallet, credit cards, and even his phone. The watch band was damaged, yet the piece itself remained untouched, as was an expensive pendant draped around his neck.

Detectives suspect the perpetrator panicked after the shooting, fleeing before they could strip any valuables. Others argue the absence of theft signals a motive beyond robbery – perhaps a cold‑blooded intent to end a life rather than steal property.

9 Julian Assange Heavily Implied He Was the Leak

WikiLeaks never officially named Rich as the source of their leaked DNC material, but the organization has dropped numerous hints that point in that direction.

During a televised interview, Julian Assange described the perilous work of whistleblowers and then cited a “27‑year‑old who works for the DNC, was shot in the back, and murdered just weeks ago for unknown reasons.” When the host suggested a robbery, Assange dismissed that, insisting no findings existed, and implied his source had taken extraordinary risks.

Later, Assange reiterated his promise to protect sources, stating WikiLeaks does not confirm Rich’s involvement. Nonetheless, he offered a $20,000 bounty for anyone with information, underscoring the organization’s willingness to pursue anyone who might “kill a potential source.”

8 He Made an Unexplained Stop on the Way Home

Roughly three hours before his fatal shooting, Rich was spotted at Lou’s City Bar. As the venue prepared to close, manager Joseph Capone offered a ride, but Rich declined, saying he would “go somewhere else” before heading home.

Witnesses later learned Rich was only a 40‑minute walk from his apartment, yet he survived until almost three hours later. The mystery deepened when phone records showed he placed a long‑distance call to his girlfriend in Michigan at 2:05 a.m., speaking for over two hours about personal troubles.

His girlfriend reported he seemed calm and unaware of any danger during the conversation. The call ended, and within two minutes, the fatal shot rang out – a sudden, unexpected end to what appeared to be a routine night.

Speculation persists about the purpose of his “going somewhere else” comment. Was it a pretext for the call, or did he intend to make an unscheduled stop? The truth remains elusive.

7 He Talked to Emergency Responders

When first responders arrived, Rich was still breathing and, surprisingly, quite talkative. Officers noted his chatter, a trait his family recognized as quintessentially Seth.

While being rushed to the hospital, Rich continued to talk, prompting his brother to quip, “Yep, that was 100 percent my brother.” Police, however, withheld the exact content of his statements, citing concerns over compromising the investigation.

Authorities continue to back the robbery‑gone‑wrong theory, insisting Rich never disclosed the identities of any perpetrators. Yet, when asked for his address, he mistakenly gave an old residence from years prior, despite being only a block from his actual home.

Further, Rich appeared confused about the shooting itself, suggesting he may not have fully grasped the severity of his injuries at the moment.

6 An Anonymous Tip Claimed He Was the Leak

In May 2017, a source claiming to be a federal investigator tipped Fox News that Rich was the DNC leak, asserting they possessed proof of email exchanges.

The tipster alleged Rich transmitted 44,053 emails and 17,761 attachments to Gavin MacFadyen, a staunch WikiLeaks ally who died of lung cancer in October 2016, never having the chance to confirm or refute the claim.

The FBI promptly denied any involvement, stating no agents had examined Rich’s computer or seen any such correspondence. The anonymity of the source left the allegation hanging in a gray area, fueling both believers and skeptics.

5 Private Investigator Rod Wheeler Claims the Police Investigation Was Shut Down

Rod Wheeler, a private investigator hired to probe Rich’s murder, echoed the anonymous tip, asserting he uncovered evidence of email exchanges between Rich and WikiLeaks.

Wheeler claimed an inside source within the police department revealed that detectives were instructed to “stand down,” allegedly at the DNC’s behest to prevent further exposure.

His credibility took a hit after a Fox interview where he confidently said the FBI possessed Rich’s emails, only to later recant, admitting he never saw the emails nor had any FBI contacts. Despite this, he maintains the narrative that the case was deliberately suppressed.

4 Rod Wheeler Was Hired by a Fox News Correspondent

Although Wheeler initially claimed the Rich family hired him, the reality is that he was engaged by Ed Butowsky, a financial adviser with strong ties to Fox News and Breitbart.

Butowsky, known for supporting Republican‑leaning outlets, facilitated Wheeler’s involvement and offered to cover his fees. Early on, he denied any participation, telling NBC he neither paid nor hired anyone.

When the Rich family later disclosed Butowsky’s role, he rationalized his earlier denial by saying he avoided speaking to the press and that Wheeler had agreed to work pro bono, technically keeping his statement truthful.

Critics note that both Butowsky and Wheeler are vocal Trump supporters, with Wheeler even posting photos of himself at the White House under the caption “Doing my part to Make America Great Again!” This political alignment fuels suspicion about their motives.

Butowsky continues to aid the family, recently filing a Freedom of Information Act request for homicide documents—a request that was denied, further deepening the mystery.

3 The Rich Family Denies He Was the Leak

Amid swirling rumors, the Rich family has consistently asserted that Seth was not the DNC source. They released a statement emphasizing their commitment to facts, denouncing “fake evidence” that distracts law enforcement.

Joel Rich, Seth’s father, specifically called out Julian Assange, accusing him of legitimizing baseless theories that hinder the murder investigation. He declined to elaborate further, simply refusing to “play WikiLeaks’ game.”

Friends of Seth echo the family’s position. Best friend Michael Cass‑Antony stressed that all who knew Seth recognized his dedication to the Democratic Party and dismissed the leak narrative as pure fabrication.

2 The Story Could Be a Distraction from Trump’s Problems

Regardless of the actual cause of Rich’s death, many argue the saga serves a larger political purpose: a diversion from President Trump’s controversies. If the murder wasn’t a Democratic silencing plot, it may have been wielded by Republicans to shift focus away from the President.

One theory suggests the narrative emerged to bolster Trump’s 2016 campaign and resurfaces to keep him in power. Notably, Rod Wheeler’s renewed claims appeared on May 15 2017, the same day Trump faced accusations of sharing classified information with Russia.

Supporters of this view contend Wheeler and Butowsky deliberately amplified the story to generate media chatter that distracts from Trump’s legal and political challenges.

The Russian embassy added fuel to the fire, tweeting on May 19 2017 about Rich as a “WikiLeaks informer,” further implying a DNC‑orchestrated killing.

1 John Podesta Said They Should Make an Example of Leakers

Beyond the investigators and media pundits, the leak controversy traces back to a stark statement from John Podesta, revealed in a WikiLeaks‑released email chain. He wrote, “I’m definitely for making an example of a suspected leaker.”

The email thread shows multiple DNC officials, including Joel Benenson, echoing Podesta’s sentiment: “We are in massive agreement… we have to make examples now of the people who have violated the trust of HRC and the rest of the team. People going forward need to know there are stiff consequences for leaking.”

While the exact nature of those “stiff consequences” remains vague, the timing of Assange’s insinuations about Rich suggests a chilling correlation, implying that the alleged leaker met a fatal end.

When you hear the phrase 10 suicide notes, you might picture anonymous scribbles, but the truth is far more startling. Even the glittering lives of the rich and famous can end in silence, leaving behind haunting letters that reveal a side of fame most of us never see. Below, we dive into ten well‑known personalities, each of whom chose to put their final thoughts on paper.

10 Suicide Notes From the Rich and Famous

10 Clara Blandick

Clara Blandick enjoyed a four‑decade tenure on the silver screen, most famously appearing as Aunt Em in the timeless classic The Wizard of Oz. After stepping away from acting in 1950, she settled into the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where visitors grew scarce and her once‑bright star dimmed into near obscurity.

Retirement ushered in a cascade of health woes. Her vision faltered, and relentless arthritis inflicted constant agony, eroding both body and spirit. One quiet Sunday in April 1962, she attended church, then returned home to meticulously arrange her personal belongings, laying out treasured photographs and career memorabilia with deliberate care.

She dressed herself with the same elegance she had always favored—applying makeup, slipping into her beloved dressing gown, and settling on a couch draped with a golden blanket. The scene was almost cinematic, though the plastic bag she used to suffocate herself sadly marred the tableau.

Clara’s final note read, “I am now about to make the great adventure. I cannot endure this agonizing pain any longer. It is all over my body. Neither can I face the impending blindness. I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.”

9 George Eastman

George Eastman reshaped everyday life with his invention of the Kodak camera, a device that turned photography from an elite hobby into a pastime anyone could enjoy. Before his breakthrough, cameras were bulky, costly, and required expert handling; his innovation made them cheap, compact, and user‑friendly.

The crowning achievement of his career, the $1 Brownie camera, opened the doors for amateurs and children alike. Its portability made it a favorite among World War I soldiers, who could easily tuck it into their gear packs.

Beyond his inventive genius, Eastman was a compassionate employer and generous philanthropist, donating more than $100 million over his lifetime. Yet, as his health deteriorated, the activities he once loved became burdensome, and in 1932 he chose a swift end with a gunshot to his heart.

His farewell note was succinct: “To my friends: My work is done. Why wait? G. E.”

8 Tony Hancock

Tony Hancock carved a niche as an actor‑comedian, often portraying characters who felt the world had treated them unfairly. His on‑stage personas brimmed with self‑importance, only to be humbled when the audience failed to recognize their supposed brilliance.

Hancock’s off‑stage life mirrored his characters in many ways. He grew increasingly resentful of collaborators—particularly the writing duo Galton and Simpson, whose clever lines he felt should have borne his name, and co‑star Sid James, whose jokes he begrudgingly admired. In a drastic move, he demanded James’s removal from Hancock’s Half Hour and subsequently fired his own writers, a decision he later lamented.

As his career faltered without the creative team, his long‑standing battle with alcohol intensified. Hoping to revive his fortunes, he accepted a television project in Australia, but the experience left him despondent. Believing the production was failing, he took his own life in his hotel room.

His final note echoed the despair of his on‑screen persona: “Things just seemed to go too wrong too many times.”

7 Vachel Lindsay

Vachel Lindsay was celebrated for his flamboyant performance poetry, which he dubbed “higher vaudeville.” While his style captivated early audiences, many of his works today are viewed as culturally insensitive, especially his stereotypical portrayals of African‑American life. He even performed in blackface for a poem about the Congo, a place he’d never visited.

Despite his controversial methods, Lindsay earnestly tried to capture the spirit of small‑town America, earning a burst of patriotism during World War I. After the war, however, his audience dwindled, his income shrank, and critics mocked his dramatic flair.

Health issues compounded his woes, and by 1931 he was both physically broken and deeply depressed. He chose a painful end by drinking a bottle of lye, a method as theatrical as his poetry.

His suicide note was stark: “They tried to get me—I got them first!”

6 George Sanders

George Sanders, an Oscar‑winning actor, never seemed able to savor his success. He married four times, including a brief union with Zsa Zsa Gabor and later with her sister Magda. Known for his biting wit, he once confessed, “I am not a sweet person. I am a disagreeable person. I am a hateful person.”

His self‑awareness did little to lift his spirits, nor did the help of seven psychiatrists. Feeling perpetually snubbed for roles he coveted, the frustration gnawed at him. In 1972, at 65, Sanders ingested five bottles of Nembutal in a Spanish hotel room.

The note he left was unapologetically contemptuous: “Dear World, I am leaving you because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.”

5 Lupe Valez

Lupe Valez dazzled 1920s Hollywood as a Mexican actress famed for fiery roles that earned her the nickname “The Mexican Spitfire.” While she thrived on the party circuit, she remained a devout Catholic. When she discovered she was pregnant at 36, she refused the era’s common “health‑spa” abortions, opting instead for a more personal decision.

She briefly became engaged to Australian actor Harald Ramond, the father of her unborn child, but the engagement dissolved just days before her death. After hosting a dinner party, she slipped away from her friends and took her own life with poison, leaving a note to Harald that read, “To Harald, may God forgive you and forgive me too but I prefer to take my life away and our baby’s before I bring him with shame or killing him, Lupe.”

Rumors later swirled that she had meticulously arranged a glamorous death, only to end up nauseated and dying with her head in a toilet—a story that remains unverified.

4 Terry Kath

Terry Kath wielded the guitar for the rock band Chicago, earning high praise from Jimi Hendrix, who called him “better than me.” Like many musicians of his era, Kath battled alcoholism, drug abuse, and recurring bouts of deep depression. He also cultivated a hobby of collecting firearms—a dangerous pairing.

Chicago’s meteoric rise in 1969, opening for both Hendrix and Jan Joplin, gave Kath a taste of stardom. By 1977, internal tensions fractured the group, and Kath’s relationships with bandmates soured. His cocaine consumption escalated, and he took up an alarming pastime: Russian roulette.

On a January day in 1978, after a two‑day binge of cocaine, Kath decided to clean his guns. When warned to exercise caution, he retorted, “What do you think I’m gonna do? Blow my brains out?” He pulled the trigger, unaware that a stray bullet remained in the chamber, and the gun discharged, ending his life instantly.

Whether the act was a deliberate suicide or a tragic accident stemming from his reckless obsession remains debated, but his final words were chillingly prophetic.

3 Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf stands among the most influential writers of the twentieth century, celebrated for her literary innovations and a seemingly harmonious marriage. Yet, she endured lifelong bouts of mental illness, likely bipolar disorder—a condition poorly understood and untreated in her time.

When she sensed another manic episode looming, Woolle penned a tender, anguished note to her husband, declaring, “Dearest, I feel certain that I’m going mad again. I feel we can’t go through another of those terrible times… I can’t go on spoiling your life any longer… V.” The letter expressed profound love, gratitude, and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

On March 28, 1941, Woolf filled her pockets with stones and walked into the River Ouse near her home, ending her life by drowning.

2 Sid Vicious

Sid Vicious, the notorious bassist of the Sex Pistols, epitomized the raw, chaotic energy of punk rock. Though musically limited, his volatile temperament made headlines—he frequently assaulted journalists, clashed with audiences, and sought refuge in a spiraling heroin addiction shared with his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen.

In October 1979, Vicious awoke to discover Nancy dead on their Manhattan hotel bathroom floor, a knife wound to her stomach. Though he owned the weapon, he gave contradictory statements to police, sometimes admitting the stabbing, other times claiming amnesia due to drug use. He was arrested and charged with her murder.While awaiting trial, Vicious attempted suicide multiple times without success. On the night he was granted bail, he was found dead in his jacket pocket, a note allegedly reading, “We had a death pact, and I have to keep my half of the bargain. Please bury me next to my baby in my leather jacket, jeans and motorcycle boots. Goodbye.”

1 Hunter S Thompson

Hunter S. Thompson, the pioneering Gonzo journalist behind Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, lived a life as explosive as his prose. Known for his Southern charm, gun‑loving anarchism, and relentless drug use, he chronicled America’s underbelly while chasing an ever‑elusive version of the American Dream.

In his later years, Thompson faced mounting health issues and a deep aversion to aging. Believing that his time had run out, he shot himself in the kitchen of his Colorado home, Owl Farm, in 2005. A few weeks earlier, he had penned a stark final note: “No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax This won’t hurt.”

His friends honored his flamboyant spirit by launching his ashes from a cannon into space, turning his ultimate exit into one last, spectacular explosion.

If You Need Help: If you or someone you love is struggling with suicidal thoughts, reach out to a trusted resource. United States National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1‑800‑273‑8255; Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1‑833‑456‑4566; United Kingdom Samaritans Helpline: 116 123. International numbers are available here.

The notion of abandoning wealth, fame, and society can feel unfathomable to many. Yet, not all glittering lives are as glamorous as they appear, and for some, the pressure of the public eye proved too much to bear. Below, we explore the strange, solitary worlds of ten fabulously rich individuals who chose isolation over acclaim.

10 Huguette Clark

Huguette Clark, daughter of a copper magnate, possessed a staggering fortune exceeding $300 million. Yet her wealth did not translate to a richer existence. Rather than surrounding herself with opulent surroundings, she spent her final two decades confined to a hospital room—despite not being ill. Visitors were few, and her possessions were minimal: a few garments, cherished dolls, and an impressive collection of violins, once even including the famed Stradivarius masterpiece known as “The Virgin.” Although she owned a Fifth Avenue Manhattan apartment and a Californian mansion, she preferred the sterile ambiance of the hospital.

The roots of Clark’s reclusiveness remain unclear, though she once described money as “a menace to happiness.”

When she passed away in 2011, Clark bequeathed over $30 million to her nurse. Distant relatives contested the inheritance, and the nurse ultimately received nothing—though she retained most of the $31 million in gifts she had accumulated over the years.

9 Ida Wood

Ida Wood, a late‑19th‑century New York socialite, abruptly vanished from public life in 1907, retreating to a room at the Herald Square Hotel with her sister and daughter. Each day, the bellhop knocked, and Ida would crack the door open just enough to request the same modest fare: evaporated milk, crackers, coffee, bacon, and eggs. She tipped the bellhop ten cents, insisting that was all the money she possessed.

After her daughter’s death in 1928, Ida, now in her nineties, suddenly flung the door wide in 1931, calling for help as her sister lay dying. Staff discovered the bathroom transformed into a makeshift kitchen, while the suite overflowed with empty cracker boxes and rotting food.

Amid the debris lay share certificates, bonds, cash stashed in shoeboxes, diamond necklaces hidden inside cracker cartons, and $500,000 in $10,000 bills pinned to the inside of her nightgown.

Ida’s life was a tapestry of astonishing episodes. She once wrote to a stranger, proposing an affair and presenting herself as the daughter of a wealthy aristocratic family—though she was actually the child of impoverished Irish immigrants. She amassed wealth through a partnership with her husband, a gambling addict: they split his winnings 50‑50, and she also shared his losses equally. When his fortunes dwindled, she loaned him money in exchange for newspaper stock. He died nearly penniless, while Ida retained a hidden fortune within empty cracker boxes.

8 Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson grew up in a prosperous Massachusetts family; her father was a respected attorney. Though the family enjoyed a prominent social standing, Emily rejected that world. After a dismal first year at college, she left and spent the remainder of her life within her father’s house, venturing out only for occasional doctor visits.

Never marrying, Dickinson maintained friendships but seemed to keep romance at bay. Many of her celebrated poems appear addressed to a lover, yet the identity of that lover remains a mystery. While scholars have long debated her motivations, the truth is elusive; Dickinson simply chose a solitary existence.

She died in 1886 within the family home, forever clad in the white attire she habitually wore.

7 Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla, a true visionary, left an indelible mark on modern electricity. Yet his reputation never quite eclipsed that of his rival Thomas Edison, largely because Edison was a relentless self‑promoter who often claimed credit for others’ breakthroughs.

Tesla cared more about ideas than fame or fortune. Although his inventions generated millions—if not billions—he saw little personal gain. Gifted with an eidetic memory and fluency in eight languages, Tesla rarely took notes, trusting his mind alone to capture his concepts—though such habits would have helped secure patents.

His eccentricities were notable. Likely afflicted with obsessive‑compulsive disorder, he washed his hands obsessively and ate only boiled food. He harbored strange phobias, such as an aversion to pearls, which made conversations with society women uncomfortable. Tesla believed solitude was essential for his greatest ideas, prompting his reclusive lifestyle.

Poor business acumen led him to squander his wealth, hopping from hotel to hotel and often skipping out on bills. He once offered a mysterious box—claiming it contained a “death beam”—in lieu of cash, though the device was never opened. Tesla died alone in a hotel room in 1943, as he had lived.

6 Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer, a prodigious yet troubled genius, captured national attention when he defeated the Soviet grandmaster in 1972, becoming World Chess Champion amid Cold War tensions. Two decades later, he defied U.S. sanctions to play a rematch in Belgrade, earning both hero status and accusations of treason.

Fischer cared little for public opinion. Paranoia, conspiracy obsessions, and deep‑seated anger plagued him. After conquering the chess world, he seemed to lose purpose, abandoning the game without finding a new passion.

Following inflammatory 9/11 remarks, Fischer fled to Iceland, where he spent his remaining years in seclusion. He devised his own chess variant, Fischerandom, showcasing his modesty despite his fame.

Though his final years painted a picture of destitution, Fischer left an estate worth several million dollars. He was discovered dead in his Icelandic hotel room in 2008. Even in death, he rejected public ceremony, arranging a clandestine burial attended by only five people at dawn, without informing the minister.

5 Theo And Karl Albrecht

Brothers Theo and Karl Albrecht founded the grocery empire Aldi after World War II, expanding their mother’s modest shop into a multibillion‑dollar enterprise.

Their lives took a dramatic turn when Theo was kidnapped in 1971. After a 17‑day ordeal, he was released upon paying a ransom of seven million German marks. Rumor has it he haggled over the amount and later tried to claim the ransom as a business expense on his taxes.

Post‑kidnapping, the brothers adopted an ultra‑low‑profile existence. Rarely photographed and shunning interviews, they traveled separately, ensuring their cars never shared the same route. They also spent time on a remote North Sea island, indulging in golf, orchid cultivation, and typewriter collecting. Both brothers passed away in Essen, Germany—Theo in 2010 and Karl in 2014.

4 John G. Wendel II

At the turn of the 20th century, John G. Wendel II commanded a Manhattan property empire valued at roughly $1 billion today. He built his fortune on four immutable principles: never mortgage, never sell, never repair, and always anticipate that premium real‑estate prices on Broadway would migrate uptown every decade.

Wendel applied the same rigidity to his family life. His sprawling house sat amid a bustling commercial district, surrounded by shops and hotels—making it an unsuitable residence but a priceless asset. He eschewed modern comforts—rejecting electricity, telephones, and automobiles—preferring a stark, unfurnished environment. Passersby often pressed their faces to the windows, hoping to glimpse the enigmatic “Weird Wendels,” as locals called them.

Living with his seven sisters, Wendel earned the moniker “the hermit of Fifth Avenue.” The family maintained a quiet, unchanging existence, refusing to adapt to the evolving world around them.

3 Ella Wendel

Following John Wendel’s death, his sisters continued occupying the mansion until only Ella remained. Only one sister ever married—and that too late in life, as John feared gold‑diggers. Consequently, no direct heir existed to inherit the vast fortune.

Ella, possessing a $100 million fortune, persisted in living exactly as before: alone in the immense house, devoid of modern amenities. Her sole companionship came from a parade of dogs, each named Toby. Nightly, she would stroll Toby across a vacant lot owned by the family—land she steadfastly refused to sell, despite its multimillion‑dollar value.

When Ella died in 1931, over 2,000 alleged “relatives” emerged to claim a share of the estate—most of whom were impostors. Legal battles drained a substantial portion of the fortune, with the remainder allocated to charitable causes.

2 Eliza Donnithorne

Eliza Donnithorne is believed to have inspired Charles Dickens’ Miss Havisham—the jilted bride eternally wandering her home in a wedding dress, awaiting a groom who never returned.

She migrated to Australia in the 1840s with her father, an East India Company official, and remained there after his death. In 1889, the Illustrated Sydney News reported that she had been abandoned at the altar, leaving her “completely prostrated.”

Eliza fell in love with a young man her father disapproved of. Defying her father’s attempts to separate them, the couple set a wedding date. The groom, a prominent official, attracted considerable public interest; crowds allegedly lined the streets to glimpse the bride. On the day, Eliza, resplendent in her finery, waited eagerly at the altar—only for the groom to never appear.

According to the article, she left the wedding feast untouched until it turned to dust, after which she never left her house again. Mortified by public scrutiny, Eliza devoted herself to books, amassing a sizable collection that she left behind upon her death.

1 Marcel Proust

Marcel Proust, a celebrated French author, epitomized the recluse writer. His magnum opus, In Search of Lost Time, was crafted within a Parisian apartment on Boulevard Haussmann, where he spent his final years.

Rarely venturing out, Proust suffered from severe asthma and was deeply affected by his parents’ deaths, prompting him to withdraw into himself. He sound‑proofed his study with corkboard and hung heavy curtains to block daylight, creating a cocoon for uninterrupted writing. He would often stay awake for days, laboring over his masterpiece, desperate to finish before his health failed.

Although he died in 1922 before completing the entire work, the remaining three volumes were sufficiently polished to be published posthumously. Today, In Search of Lost Time stands as one of the most influential literary achievements of the 20th century.

Ready to dive deeper into the secret lives of these fabulously rich recluses? Explore each story and uncover the mysteries behind their extraordinary choices.

Everyone loves the fantasy of finding a hidden Picasso in the attic, yet the sad reality is that most clean‑ups only reveal dust bunnies. Surprisingly, ordinary items made some people fabulously wealthy, proving that riches can hide in the most mundane places.

How Ordinary Items Made Fortunes

10 A Name

When Jason Sadler’s mom told him his stepfather was filing for divorce, Sadler responded to the news with a joke. Sadler told his mom he’d just have to sell off his last name to avoid being stuck with the family name of a third divorced dad.

That joke became reality half a year later when Jason Sadler created a website called buymylastname.com. Sadler offered to change his last name to an advertising billboard for any company willing to pay for the privilege. What would happen if Nike wanted to change Jason’s name to Jason JustDoIt? Jason would just do it indeed, as long as the dubbing was for the highest price offered.

Within 24 hours of the auction opening, his name’s selling price skyrocketed to thirty thousand dollars. Forty days later, Jason was paid forty‑five thousand dollars to legally become Jason Headsetsdotcom.

While “Mr. Headsetsdotcom” may be a memorable title, Jason decided he would not settle on that last name either. Headsetsdotcom did not go back to calling himself Jason Sadler. Instead, he auctioned off his last name again, and for fifty‑thousand dollars Jason was now Jason Sufrapp.

What is in a name? Almost one hundred thousand dollars, apparently.

9 A Cup of Coffee

On a cold winter day, Stella Liebeck and her nephew drove up to a McDonald’s drive‑through. After ordering a cup of hot coffee, Liebeck spilled it on her lap as her nephew pulled the car away. Stella Liebeck then sued the restaurant chain for damages and won big time.

In the first court case that followed, Liebeck vs. McDonald’s, the jury awarded her three million dollars in compensation. Though a judge later reduced this prize to about a half a million dollars, and Liebeck may have settled for a lesser amount later, that payout does not seem bad for spending fifteen minutes at a fast food franchise, though maybe not worth spending months in the courtroom.

But before we all head out to the nearest drive‑through with a hot beverage in one hand and a phone ready to speed‑dial our lawyers in another, this settlement did come with a cost greater than coffee‑stained pants. Liebeck suffered third‑degree burns and required skin grafts to recover, and evidence in the courtroom revealed that hundreds of people each year had suffered similar injuries because McDonald’s franchisees had overheated their coffee. This lawsuit was more a case of justice rather than frivolity.

8 A Spring

Richard James was working in a factory during World War II when he knocked a spring off the shelf. He was amazed when the spring smoothly coiled downwards instead of instantly dropping to the ground. As the spring hit the floor, an idea hit him: what if he could make a coil that would double as a child’s toy?

After two years of tinkering, he came up with a toy that could stretch, retract, and spiral down inclines. His wife, Betty James, pulled out a dictionary and named it the slinky. Together they took out a five hundred dollar loan, and built an empire that continues to sell the toys to this day.

At first James and Betty struggled to make the slinky profitable. Toy shops refused to stock it because it was so ordinary. But once the toy caught on and James earned millions of dollars, he donated most of the profits to a religious group he had joined in South America. Far from being rich, James plunged his company into a seven‑figure debt hole. Oops.

Betty took over the company, and miraculously turned it around. While selling enough slinkys to wrap around the globe one hundred and fifty times, she never strayed from the slinky’s simplicity and affordability, and sold it even more cheaply in 1990 than it sold for in 1945.

7 A Tulip

A 17th‑century Dutchman would be shocked if you gave your significant other a bouquet of tulips for Valentine’s Day. Not because the Dutch preferred roses, but because of what the sheer value of the tulips (or more specifically their bulbs) would be in the arrangement.

In the 1600s, tulips had just arrived to the Netherlands from what is now Turkey. A virus had afflicted harvests, which caused each tulip to be colored in its own unique pattern. Curiously the diseased flowers became worth even more than tulips that were healthy. Scholars coveted different tulip patterns and bought them as if they were collecting baseball or Pokémon cards.

Soon the population caught on that people in academia would buy uniquely patterned flowers at almost any cost, and prices for the tulips surged. By 1637, it would be possible for you to exchange a single bulb for one of the largest, most fashionable houses in all of the Netherlands. While prices collapsed less than a year later, people made and lost fortunes for what today we give out freely as gifts.

6 A Rock

Gary Dahl was drinking at a bar when he came up with a concept that would take the 1970s by storm and make his company over a million dollars in revenue. In a conversation with his friends, he came up with the ultimate pet. It would be docile, house‑broken, shed no hair and have a long lifespan too. Rocks, Dahl realized, were the perfect pets in all respects, better than any cat, dog, or goldfish.

Dahl made his drunken idea a reality when he sold rocks in cardboard boxes, complete with air holes so the stones could breathe. For just under four dollars you could possess a stone of your very own. A manual included in the package explained how to care for the rock along with the tricks it could be taught. Among other sardonic jokes, it gave instructions on how a pet rock could be trained to play dead.

The rocks’ sheer absurdity caught the whimsy of Americans everywhere. Though anyone could pick up a feral rock in their backyard, the pet rock’s value as a gag gift made them fly off the shelves.

5 Garbage

As anyone who lives in a city can tell you, litter is worse than worthless. A New Yorker named Justin Gignac was convinced otherwise. He believed that if someone packaged something right, it would sell (and clearly his point has been well proven by other items on this list also!). He began to collect garbage off the streets and arrange it in glass smell‑proof boxes.

Gignac sold them for ten dollars a pop, and people bought them as souvenirs. He raised the price to fifty dollars, and people bought them as artwork. Today the New York garbage costs one hundred dollars per cube and according to his website at the time of this writing, is completely sold out (in not too dissimilar a fashion to New York City itself thanks to de Blasio!).

4 Air

We breathe about twenty‑three thousand times a day. While we may spend money on basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, and electricity, nobody would even imagine paying for air. Right?

Two Canadians proved that people will pay for the stuff they breathe when the pair began bottling the air in the Rocky Mountains and selling it for twenty‑four bucks a can. Chinese customers, choking in smog‑filled cities, began to purchase the bottles both as a joke to protest against poor air quality (or so they say) and for whiffs of pure, unpolluted, air (more likely).

3 Poop

We flush our waste down the toilet every day without much thought. If we excreted gold instead of poop, we might think twice about doing so.

Artist Piero Manzoni believed that his own waste was just as valuable as gold. In 1961, he put his money where was butt was, and canned ninety tins of his own poop and tried to sell it to his patrons. Less than two years later he exchanged thirty grams of the stuff for thirty grams of eighteen‑carat gold.

Lest we think that this was another strange byproduct of the 1960s, another can sold in a 2008 auction for over one hundred thousand dollars, meaning that right now Manzoni’s poop is worth roughly sixty‑five times its weight in gold.

2 A Red Paperclip

Kyle MacDonald, a 27‑year‑old man from Montreal, started out his summer with no job, no house, and a single red paperclip. When Kyle resolved to get a home for him and his girlfriend to live in, he did not brush up his resume or open a savings account. Instead, he left his apartment with the red paperclip in hand and traded it for a pen that looked like a fish.

Thirteen exchanges later, he traded a movie role for a two‑story farmhouse in Kipling, Saskatchewan. Kyle had traded up the paperclip on his desk for a house in less than a year, in a story that shows even the value of office supplies can bring surprise.

1 Two Boxes of Pizza

In 2010 Lazlo Hanyecz, a hungry developer of a then near‑unknown cryptocurrency called Bitcoin had a craving for pizza. Under the internet handle “lazlo”, he offered ten thousand bitcoins to anyone who would order him two pizza pies.

Nine years later in 2019, those ten thousand bitcoins are worth far more dough than the flour in two large pizzas. Anyone who had taken Lazlo up on his offer (at the time of this writing) would now possess more than a hundred million dollars just for having made two orders from Papa John’s.

From media moguls and tech startups to venture capitalists, the world is brimming with 10 rich people whose fortunes showcase dazzling financial triumphs. Yet, there’s something oddly entertaining about watching those very tycoons watch their empires go up in flames. Whether it’s Elizabeth Holmes, Donald Trump, or Stockton Rush, each of these 10 rich people saw their lofty ambitions collapse—some in metaphor, and in Rush’s tragic case, quite literally.

What Happens When 10 Rich People Are Blinded By Hubris

10 Elizabeth Holmes

In the world of health tech, the saga of Elizabeth Holmes reads like a cautionary novel. A Stanford dropout, Holmes burst onto the scene promising to revolutionize blood testing with a device that could run a full panel of assays from just a few drops of blood. Her startup, Theranos, was founded in 2003 and quickly ballooned to a sky‑high valuation of nine billion dollars, earning her a spot among the most celebrated young entrepreneurs.

The fairy‑tale began to crumble in 2015 when investigative journalists started peeling back the glossy veneer. Reports revealed that the much‑heralded Edison machine was far from the breakthrough it was claimed to be, and that Theranos was secretly relying on conventional laboratory equipment to process samples. The revelations exposed a massive gap between the company’s public claims and the reality inside its labs.

The fallout was swift and unforgiving. Regulators stepped in, investors fled, and Holmes transformed overnight from visionary tech prodigy to emblem of corporate deceit. The Theranos debacle now serves as a textbook example of how hubris can turn a promising startup into a cautionary tale of over‑promising and under‑delivering.

9 Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling

When it comes to flying too close to the sun, Enron and its architects Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling provide a textbook illustration. Enron, a behemoth dealing in electricity, natural gas, communications, and even pulp and paper, was hailed as a model of corporate ingenuity under Lay’s chairmanship and Skilling’s aggressive CEO leadership.

The house of cards began to topple in 2001 when journalists and investigators uncovered a web of fraudulent accounting tricks. The company had been hiding debt and inflating profits through off‑balance‑sheet partnerships, creating an illusion of unstoppable growth while sweeping liabilities under a rug.

The scandal erupted into a full‑blown bankruptcy in December 2001, marking one of the largest corporate collapses in U.S. history. Lay and Skilling faced criminal charges for fraud, conspiracy, and insider trading, cementing Enron’s legacy as a stark reminder that unchecked ambition and deceptive bookkeeping can implode spectacularly.

8 Adam Neumann

Adam Neumann’s magnetic charisma and grandiose vision propelled WeWork into the stratosphere of modern office culture. The company’s promise of beautifully designed shared workspaces, quirky amenities, and a community‑first ethos attracted massive investment, catapulting its valuation to a jaw‑dropping $47 billion in 2019.

However, the meteoric rise masked deep‑seated flaws. Neumann’s appetite for rapid expansion outpaced sustainable profitability, leading the firm to sign long‑term leases while offering short‑term memberships. This mismatch, coupled with opaque governance and conflicts of interest, began to erode investor confidence.

The 2019 IPO attempt laid bare massive losses, governance concerns, and Neumann’s personal dealings, sparking a firestorm of criticism. Under mounting pressure, Neumann stepped down, and SoftBank ultimately took control of WeWork, turning a once‑glittering unicorn into a cautionary example of over‑ambitious scaling.

7 Martin Winterkorn

Among the many tales of wealth gone awry, Volkswagen’s former CEO Martin Winterkorn stands out for engineering brilliance turned scandal. Rising from a research assistant in 1977 to head of group quality assurance, Winterkorn eventually seized the helm as CEO in January 2007, steering the German automaker to new heights of technology and profit.

The triumph was shattered in 2015 when investigators uncovered a massive software cheat that allowed diesel vehicles to emit far more pollutants than legally permitted. The “defeat‑device” software fooled emissions tests worldwide, betraying both regulators and consumers.

The fallout forced Winterkorn to resign in late 2015, and the scandal tarnished Volkswagen’s reputation, demonstrating how a single hubristic decision can undermine decades of brand prestige and engineering excellence.

6 Thierry Leyne and Arnaud Mimran

Choosing the right partner can be a make‑or‑break decision, a lesson brutally learned by Thierry Leyne when he teamed up with financier Arnaud Mimran. In 2013 the duo launched LSK—Leyne, Strauss‑Kahn & Partners—diversifying into real estate, finance, and technology, quickly amassing substantial wealth.

Their ascent, however, was short‑lived. Investigations exposed a sprawling carbon‑trading fraud that Mimran orchestrated, described by some outlets as “the heist of the century.” Legal scrutiny intensified, revealing massive financial irregularities that sent shockwaves through their empire.

The ultimate tragedy unfolded when Mimran faced incarceration while Leyne, overwhelmed by the scandal, took his own life in Tel Aviv in late 2014. Their story underscores how reckless alliances can precipitate a rapid and devastating downfall.

5 Travis Kalanick

Ride‑hailing transformed urban mobility, and Uber’s co‑founder Travis Kalanick was the driving force behind that revolution. By 2017, Uber cars were a familiar sight in major cities worldwide, eclipsing traditional taxis and spawning a whole new industry.

Behind the rapid growth lay a darker side. Allegations of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and a cut‑throat corporate culture emerged, painting Kalanick as an abrasive leader. Moreover, Uber repeatedly flouted local regulations, sparking battles with city officials and taxi unions.

The tipping point arrived when leaked footage showed Kalanick in a heated argument with an Uber driver, fueling investor outrage. Under mounting pressure, he resigned as CEO, stayed on the board until 2019, and eventually sold his remaining shares, exiting the company he helped build.

4 Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch, the media titan behind News Corporation, saw his empire rocked by a scandal of biblical proportions: phone hacking. In 2011, journalists at the News of the World were found to have illegally accessed the voicemail of teenage murder victim Milly Dowler, among others.

The revelations sparked public outrage, exposing a culture of invasive surveillance that extended across Murdoch’s vast media holdings. Victims ranged from celebrities to politicians, and the illegal tactics eroded trust in the press.

The fallout was severe—financial penalties, legal battles, and a lasting stain on Murdoch’s legacy. The episode serves as a stark reminder that unchecked power in the media sphere can lead to ethical catastrophes.

3 Richard Fuld

The 2008 global financial crisis crippled economies worldwide, and at its epicenter stood Lehman Brothers, helmed by CEO Richard Fuld. The firm’s aggressive reliance on subprime mortgage‑backed securities left it vulnerable when the housing market collapsed.

Lehman’s assets rapidly depreciated, and despite frantic attempts to secure a buyer or government bailout, the bank’s balance sheet was irreparably damaged. In September 2008, Lehman filed for bankruptcy, marking the largest failure of an American investment bank in history.

Fuld bore the brunt of the blame, criticized for ignoring warning signs and for an overconfidence that proved disastrous. The collapse reshaped financial regulation and remains a cautionary tale of hubris in high‑stakes banking.

2 Donald Trump

Uttering Donald Trump’s name today instantly ignites heated debate, but his pre‑political business ventures tell a story of over‑leveraged ambition. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he owned a trio of Atlantic City casinos—Trump Plaza, Trump Marina, and the opulent Taj Mahal.

The grandiose properties were meant to revitalize the struggling resort town, yet mounting debt and an economic downturn forced the Taj Mahal into bankruptcy in 1991, followed by the closure of Trump Plaza in 2014 and the final shutdown of the Taj Mahal in 2016—the very year Trump secured the U.S. presidency.

These casino failures highlight how even the most flamboyant real‑estate dreams can crumble under financial pressure, offering a stark counterpoint to Trump’s later political narrative.

1 Stockton Rush

In 2009, Stockton Rush and Guillermo Söhnlein founded OceanGate, a company devoted to crewed submersibles for tourism, research, and deep‑sea exploration. Rush, an avid ocean enthusiast, famously proclaimed that submersibles were “the safest vehicles on the planet.”

Warnings about the Titan’s design emerged early, with a CBS report flagging concerns over its reliance on a $30 Logitech F710 wireless game controller as the sole navigation system. Despite the red flags, Rush pressed ahead, leading a five‑person expedition to the Titanic wreck in June 2023.

Tragically, after just 1 hour and 45 minutes beneath the waves, contact with the Titan was lost. The subsequent implosion was confirmed when debris was recovered, confirming the deaths of all aboard—including Rush himself—marking a devastating end to an ambitious but ill‑fated venture.

We all know that society is full of double standards. There are countless ways people receive preferential treatment—or slip through the cracks—simply because of what they own, how they look, or the status they flaunt. In this roundup we dive into ten things that feel downright trashy when you’re poor but turn into pure class when you’re rich. Welcome to the world of 10 things trashy and the curious flip‑flop that comes with wealth.

10 Things Trashy: The Double‑Standard Reveal

10 Choosing When to Work

This is the ultimate fantasy, isn’t it? Most of us grind day in, day out to afford the simple luxury of deciding when to clock out, when to grab a mid‑week lunch, or even to tee off on a Monday morning. That sense of autonomy—being able to shape your own schedule—feels like a permanent vacation we all secretly crave.

Yet the reality is far less forgiving. The wealthy can afford to linger on a beach or nap between meetings without anyone batting an eye. When cash is tighter, society is quick to brand anyone who doesn’t adhere to a strict 9‑to‑5 as lazy, insinuating they’re living off the goodwill of others or the social safety net.

We rush to judge the “non‑worker” without ever knowing the backstory, the health concerns, or the personal choices that led to that situation. In short, the freedom to pick your work hours is celebrated for the rich, but condemned for the cash‑strapped.

9 Retaining a Lawyer

This one sneaks up on you because it’s so easy to overlook. When you picture a billionaire’s legal counsel, you imagine sleek downtown offices, sky‑high hourly rates, and a constant stream of high‑stakes cases—think the TV show Suits in full swing.

Conversely, when someone with a modest paycheck mentions they have a lawyer, the narrative flips. The immediate reaction is, “What did they get into?” or “How could they possibly afford that?” The assumption is that a lawyer is a luxury reserved for crisis management, not a proactive tool for protecting assets.

Yet the reality is that the affluent can hire top‑tier counsel for anything—from drafting a trust to negotiating a merger—without a second thought. Meanwhile, a less‑wealthy individual is instantly judged, as if the very act of retaining counsel signals desperation rather than savvy planning.

8 Not Cleaning Your Own House

Cleaning a whole house is a monumental task, no matter the size of the property or the number of occupants. Some days you just don’t feel like scrubbing the floors, dusting the shelves, or tackling that mountain of laundry.

When the wallet is thin, society quickly labels the unclean home as a sign of laziness or personal failure. If the same situation occurs in a mansion, however, the narrative shifts: a hired housekeeper or cleaning crew is considered a sign of good taste and an indicator of success.

In the eyes of many, the poor are expected to be the ones wielding mops and vacuums, while the rich are praised for delegating the chore entirely. The double standard is crystal clear—cleanliness is a virtue when you’re paying for it, a vice when you’re doing it yourself.

7 Minimalism

Most of us picture minimalism as pristine white walls, sleek furniture, and airy, uncluttered spaces. In truth, minimalism is simply the practice of buying only what you truly need and resisting the urge to accumulate excess.

People who have lived paycheck‑to‑paycheck have been practicing a form of minimalism for generations—stretching every dollar, repairing rather than replacing, and making the most of what they have. Their frugality is a survival skill, not a design choice.

When the affluent adopt the same aesthetic, it becomes a curated trend, a statement of refined taste. Suddenly, the decision to own fewer possessions is praised as “stylish” rather than “necessity‑driven.” The same behavior that was once a badge of resilience is now a fashionable hallmark of wealth.

6 Living in a Hotel

Imagine waking up to daily housekeeping, high‑speed internet, and a complimentary breakfast. For many, that image screams luxury—especially when the backdrop is a five‑star resort with marble floors and a rooftop pool.

However, swap that opulent setting for a modest motel, and the perception plummets. The same arrangement—paying for a room, enjoying basic amenities—gets labeled as “trashy” when the price point is low.

The truth is that living in a hotel, regardless of its star rating, offers practical benefits: no long‑term lease, flexible stay lengths, and often fewer bureaucratic hoops. It can be a financially savvy choice for both the affluent and the cash‑strapped alike, yet society judges the experience based solely on price.

5 Debt

Almost everyone carries some form of debt—student loans, mortgages, car payments, or credit‑card balances. It’s a near‑universal financial reality.

When the under‑banked carry even a modest loan, the narrative is often “debt‑free is the goal; you should be ashamed of owing money.” The debt is portrayed as a heavy burden, a sign of poor financial management.

Conversely, the wealthy can leverage massive lines of credit, low‑interest loans, and strategic borrowing without a second glance. For them, debt is a tool—an instrument to amplify investments, acquire assets, and optimize tax strategies. In this scenario, the bank bears the risk, not the borrower.

4 Having Other People Raise Your Kids

When families with limited resources rely on relatives, nannies, or after‑school programs to help raise their children, the public often assumes neglect or a lack of parental commitment.

For affluent households, however, hiring a live‑in nanny, enrolling kids in elite boarding schools, or delegating certain parenting duties is viewed as a savvy allocation of time—an acknowledgment that “important” adults have demanding careers that warrant professional support.

The underlying double standard is stark: both groups are seeking assistance, yet only the wealthy are praised for outsourcing, while the less‑well‑off are silently judged for the same choice.

3 Having a Wedding at Your House

Hosting a wedding at your own residence can be an economical, heartfelt decision—no venue fees, no travel hassles, and a personal touch that makes the day truly yours.

When a millionaire’s sprawling estate becomes the backdrop, the move is hailed as “chic,” “intimate,” and a testament to good taste. The grandeur of the property validates the choice, turning a budget‑savvy decision into a statement of elegance.

For those with modest homes, the same plan is often dismissed as “trash‑y” or a sign of inability to afford a proper venue. The perception shifts entirely based on the size and style of the house, not the intention behind the celebration.

2 Tax Evasion

We’re not endorsing illegal behavior, but the reality is that the affluent frequently brush up against the limits of tax law, employing sophisticated strategies to keep more of their earnings.

When a person with limited means tries to stretch a dollar by finding loopholes, the act is instantly labeled “cheating” or “shady.” The narrative paints the low‑income individual as immoral for merely trying to survive.

Meanwhile, the same maneuver performed by a billionaire is described as “smart financial planning,” with the tax authority portrayed as the obstacle rather than the offender. The disparity highlights how wealth can turn a frowned‑upon act into a celebrated tactic.

1 Addiction

We’re not glorifying addiction, but it’s hard to ignore how society treats the same behavior differently based on who is involved. Celebrities and CEOs who indulge in alcohol, drugs, or high‑stakes gambling are often portrayed as living the “high life,” with their excesses woven into a glamorous narrative.

When a person with fewer resources grapples with the same issues, the commentary shifts dramatically—suddenly it’s a “problem that needs fixing,” a sign of personal failure, and a source of shame.

The double standard persists: the affluent are lauded as “rebels” or “survivors” when they recover, while the less‑privileged are judged harshly for any relapse. No matter the status, addiction is harmful, but wealth can camouflage it in a cloak of fame and fortune.

When you look at the habits of the truly affluent, you’ll notice ten things rich people consistently do that set them apart from the crowd. Understanding these practices can give you a roadmap to smarter money moves and a richer life.

10 Things Rich People Do That Set Them Apart

There are a few items you simply won’t buy used—think underwear, fresh food, or bedding. But for everything else, the wealthy are first in line for a bargain by shopping second‑hand. They understand that a brand‑new car loses a huge chunk of its value in the first few years, so they either skip buying new altogether or keep a car for at least a decade to extract full value.

Antiques and pre‑owned furniture are favorites, and the real magic lies in the savings. Every dollar saved by refurbishing a second‑hand sofa instead of ordering a brand‑new one can be redirected into investments or future purchases that strengthen financial security.

9 Buy Affordable Property

Affluent buyers typically pay cash or at least put down a fifteen‑percent deposit. They aim to purchase homes that cost no more than two‑and‑a‑half times their after‑tax annual income, often opting for older pre‑war houses rather than brand‑new builds. This preference stems from a respect for historic quality and an aversion to the steep depreciation that new construction suffers.

True millionaires shy away from ostentatious McMansions and multi‑million‑dollar show homes, which often come with massive mortgages, inflated egos, and hidden financial strain. Even lottery winners—who are statistically more likely to squander their windfalls—fall into this trap, ending up poorer and far less happy.

8 Buy It For Life

Many people fall into the false economy of always opting for the cheapest option. In reality, purchasing a $100 pair of shoes that endures five years beats buying five $20 pairs that each last a single season. The wealthy treat “buy it for life” not as a trend but as a disciplined approach, researching major purchases to ensure durability and, when possible, resale value.

This mindset explains why a rich individual might splurge on a $1,000 suit. Although the price sounds steep, such a garment can serve for decades, especially if the owner can mend it themselves. Even royalty, like Prince Charles, has been spotted in a thirty‑year‑old suit with patches, still looking impeccably stylish.

7 Wait For Good Deals

Human brains love immediate gratification; studies show people will grab $5 now rather than $10 in two months, even when the latter is clearly superior. The affluent sidestep this bias by patiently waiting months—or even years—for the best possible price.

This disciplined patience helped them weather crises like the 2008 housing collapse. Those who suffered most were the over‑leveraged buyers who chased quick gains, whereas the wealthy who waited for solid deals emerged unscathed.

6 Don’t Retire

Wealth isn’t built overnight; it’s a lifelong marathon of saving, investing, and adhering to the habits listed here. Many affluent individuals own their own businesses, and self‑employment fuels a passion that makes continuing to work feel natural rather than a chore.

Furthermore, the well‑heeled often find retirement dull. The modern notion of a nine‑to‑five grind is a cultural construct, and those who have the freedom to choose their work tend to stay engaged, finding purpose beyond the paycheck.

5 Be Frugal

Frugality isn’t just a financial tactic; it’s also environmentally responsible. A truly frugal person wastes less, re‑using everything from shopping bags to string from parcels. This isn’t hoarding—it’s a strategic reserve for future needs.

The savings accumulated through careful spending can be staggering. That old proverb, “a penny saved is a penny earned,” persists for good reason; every modest cutback compounds into substantial wealth over time.

Fun fact: The saying first appeared in 1633 in George Herbert’s collection as “A penny spar’d is twice got,” highlighting that the principle has endured for centuries.

4 Use Coupons

Research such as The Millionaire Next Door revealed that most surveyed millionaires spent more time clipping coupons than actually shopping. One partner in each household typically monitors spending meticulously.

While extreme couponing shows up on TV, the truly wealthy reserve coupons for items they genuinely need—groceries, household goods, and family necessities—rather than chasing every possible discount, which can become counter‑productive.

3 Budget

Every affluent individual maintains a budget and sticks to it. In today’s inflation‑driven climate, precise budgeting is essential. Honesty is the cornerstone—record every cent, no matter how small.

Wealthy people often spend hours poring over spreadsheets, akin to the classic nursery rhyme about a king counting his gold. The more time devoted to tracking expenses, the stronger the correlation with growing net worth.

2 Invest In Tangibles

Once cash flow becomes robust, the rich allocate a portion of wealth toward tangible assets—art, fine wine, bullion, and antiques. These items provide aesthetic pleasure and often appreciate over time, yet their true advantage lies in their illiquidity.

Cash is easy to spend on a whim, but money tied up in a bottle of Châteauneuf‑du‑Pape forces a pause, prompting a more deliberate decision before any purchase is made.

1 Don’t Look Rich

The most striking habit of the truly wealthy is their low‑key lifestyle. They often drive modest cars, live next door, and work the same hours as anyone else, making their wealth virtually invisible.

Conversely, those who flaunt luxury often lack real cash reserves and end up miserable. By breaking the “keep up with the Joneses” cycle, focusing on personal fulfillment, and pursuing passion, you’ll discover the genuine pot of gold: lasting happiness.

Ever caught yourself day‑dreaming about what life would be like with a bottomless bank account? The truth is, the habits of the truly filthy‑rich are so far removed from the average person’s reality that they often feel like something out of a surreal movie. In this roundup we reveal the top 10 obscene ridiculous ways the rich splash their cash, each more jaw‑dropping than the last.

10 Obscene Ridiculous Examples of Luxury

10 Shoot Something Rare and Beautiful

You don’t have to be a billionaire to join the Dallas Safari Club, nor to attend its legendary auctions. However, if you’re hoping to place a winning bid on one of the premier items, you’ll need a checkbook that can handle six‑figure sums.

The club’s auctions sell licences that legally permit the hunting and killing of wild animals. The price scales with size and rarity – a zebra will set you back roughly $10,000, while an almost extinct black rhino can cost a staggering $350,000. That price reflects the fact that only about a hundred black rhinos remain in the wild, and South Africa’s government caps the annual harvest at a mere half‑percent of the total population.

In the most recent auction, more than 50,000 participants gathered, enjoying a lavish buffet while raising paddles for the chance to take a life‑ending shot. The event caters to a wide range of budgets: if a rhino or zebra is beyond your reach, you could still afford a deer, a fox, or even a sheep – yes, that humble predator.

And that’s exactly the point: the club offers something for every pocket, from the grandiose to the modest, ensuring that even the most modestly‑wealthy can claim a trophy of their own.

9 Get Some Really Weird Art

It’s no secret that many ultra‑rich individuals become avid art collectors. After all, hanging a Renoir or a Matisse on your wall not only adds aesthetic value but also serves as a solid investment and, conveniently, masks any unsightly holes.

The modern‑art arena, however, can get wildly eccentric. Take hedge‑fund maestro Steve Cohen, whose net worth hovers around $11 billion. He splurged on Damien Hirst’s infamous piece, “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living,” a 14‑foot tiger shark suspended in a tank of formaldehyde.

Commissioned originally by Charles Saatchi, the work eventually changed hands to Cohen for an undisclosed sum that analysts estimate fell somewhere between $8 million and $12 million. To showcase the piece properly, a room must be spacious enough to view it from all angles – a 17‑foot‑long, 7‑foot‑wide aquarium that would dominate any living area.

While the installation could theoretically double as a table, its 7‑foot height makes it more of a conversation starter than a functional piece of furniture. But that’s the point of avant‑garde art: utility takes a backseat to sheer visual impact.

Isn’t it fascinating?

8 Wear a Gold Shirt

Most people stash their cash in banks, invest it, or hide it beneath a mattress. A few, however, decide to literally wear their wealth.

Enter Datta Phuge, an Indian money‑lender who took flamboyance to a new level. He commissioned a shirt crafted from 14,000 links of 22‑carat gold, complemented by massive gold chains and wrist cuffs. The garment tipped the scales at over 10 pounds and carried a price tag of roughly $250,000.

Phuge, affectionately nicknamed “the gold man,” was routinely seen sporting the shimmering outfit while conducting his lending business, turning the act of extending credit into a dazzling fashion statement.

Tragically, in 2016 the gold‑clad entrepreneur was brutally murdered by a dozen assailants, with police suspecting a money‑related dispute as the motive.

Astounding, indeed.

7 Buy a Cupboard

When most of us think about furnishing a home, a sleek sofa or a polished dining table comes to mind. For the ultra‑wealthy, a single piece of furniture can become a status‑symbol of astronomical proportions.

Enter the Badminton Cabinet – an 18th‑century Florentine masterpiece, constructed from the finest ebony and inlaid with rare stones such as amethyst, agate, and lapis lazuli. In 2004, a private bidder snapped it up for a jaw‑dropping $36 million.

The cabinet’s opulent design is matched only by its provenance. Prince Hans‑Adam II of Liechtenstein, the nation’s reigning monarch and owner of his own private bank, acquired the piece, adding another layer of exclusivity to its storied history.

It’s a truly impressive acquisition.

The lingering question, however, is what one actually stores inside a $36 million cupboard. Perhaps a checkbook?

That would certainly be fitting.

6 Build a Model Boat

Most children enjoy assembling model boats from plastic kits, gluing pieces together, and hoping the final product will float. Billionaires, on the other hand, tend to think on a much grander scale.

Australian magnate Clive Palmer decided that a simple model wouldn’t suffice. Instead, he embarked on the ambitious project of constructing a full‑scale, fully functional replica of the ill‑fated RMS Titanic – a ship that once held the title of the world’s most luxurious liner.

Life‑sized, the Titanic II is intended to be an exacting homage, with the one notable exception that every passenger would be equipped with a lifeboat, a safety upgrade the original famously lacked.

The venture, initially slated for completion in 2016, has faced a series of setbacks. Budgeted at A$700 million, the project briefly stalled before Palmer uncovered an additional A$150 million “behind the sofa,” reviving construction in 2018.

Whether the vessel will ever set sail remains uncertain. Even if completed, the ship would lack modern conveniences such as television, Wi‑Fi, and would need to redesign its third‑class cabins to meet contemporary luxury standards.

For now, Palmer appears content to revel in the planning and building phases, echoing the childhood lesson that constructing a boat can be far more entertaining than actually navigating it.

5 Write Your Name in the Sand

A typical beach day is inexpensive: a few sandwiches, a bucket, a spade, and perhaps a modest sand‑castle. Some people even carve their name into the shore with a simple stick.

In 2011, Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan decided that a stick would not suffice for his ego‑boosting endeavor. He commissioned massive excavators to etch his first name, “Hamad,” into the sand of his private island, creating letters half a mile tall that stretched across two miles of coastline.

The colossal lettering was visible from space, but achieving that level of visibility required deep trenches that turned the letters into artificial canals. As tides rose, water flowed through these channels, forming a pricey, ever‑moving water feature.

Normally, the ocean would erase any sand graffiti within minutes, but Hamad’s engineered grooves held firm for an entire year before the excavators returned to fill them in once more.

4 Fly First Class, With Your Hat

There’s nothing more irritating for a billionaire than being forced into small talk with strangers on a commercial flight. First‑class seats mitigate the problem, but some still crave absolute privacy.

Enter Bono, the U2 frontman, who reportedly purchases an extra seat in the first‑class cabin solely to accommodate his beloved hat. The pop‑star claims his hats possess an “iconic status” and once paid £1,000 to have a stray hat flown out to him mid‑journey.

When private jets aren’t an option, Bono’s solution is to buy a dedicated seat for his headwear, ensuring he never has to engage in unwanted conversation. The hat, reportedly, enjoys a private cockpit perch before a chauffeur retrieves it and delivers it to a concert hall in Italy where Bono is performing for a charitable cause.

It’s a curious habit, but in the world of the ultra‑rich, even a hat can demand first‑class treatment.

3 Smuggle a Stolen Dinosaur

Fossil hunting has become a fashionable pastime for the well‑heeled, especially after the release of Jurassic Park. The ultimate trophy? A genuine dinosaur skull.

Actor Nicolas Cage, perhaps inspired by the film, outbid Leonardo DiCaprio to acquire a Tyrannosaurus rex skull for $276,000. The purchase, however, turned sour when it emerged that the fossil had been illicitly taken from Mongolia.

The gallery that sold the skull had previously procured specimens from paleontologist Eric Prokopi, who was later convicted of smuggling. While the gallery and Cage escaped legal repercussions, Cage was forced to return the skull, and Prokopi received a three‑month jail sentence.

2 Enjoy a Drink

Imagine a long day steering a hedge fund, then returning home for a relaxing cocktail. Suddenly, you glance into your glass and spot an irregular, misshapen ice cube – a minor catastrophe for the discerning palate.

Wealthy connoisseurs can avoid that disappointment by purchasing hand‑crafted, perfectly cut ice cubes. These crystal‑clear cubes retail at $6 each, and are sold in batches of fifty, meaning a $300 investment yields a flawless chilling experience.

While the price may raise eyebrows, the precision and aesthetic appeal of perfectly square ice make it a worthwhile indulgence for those who can afford it.

Doesn’t that sound like a smart use of cash?

1 Build a REALLY Big House

Constructing a domicile isn’t inherently absurd; after all, everyone needs a roof over their head. However, when a billionaire decides to erect a palatial residence in the midst of a sprawling slum, the gesture can appear both extravagant and tone‑deaf.

Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest individual with an estimated net worth of $22 billion, commissioned a towering 27‑storey mansion that reportedly cost $1 billion to build. The colossal structure sits in one of Mumbai’s most impoverished districts, overlooking a sea of modest homes.

The residence boasts a garage capable of housing 128 cars, multiple swimming pools, a private cinema, a ballroom, and a series of panic rooms designed for any eventuality – a veritable fortress of luxury.

Critics have lambasted the design as “very very ugly,” noting that the building’s sheer scale and gaudy aesthetic clash starkly with its surroundings.

Nonetheless, the megastructure stands as a testament to the lengths the ultra‑wealthy will go to showcase their status, even if it means building a skyscraper‑high palace amid poverty.

About The Author: Ward Hazell is a freelance writer and travel writer, currently also studying for a PhD in English Literature.

Welcome to the top 10 surprising quirks that come with a fat bank account. While most of us daydream about yachts and endless vacations, there’s a darker side to the glitter that rarely makes the headlines. From booze‑filled brunches to a puzzling dip in generosity, we’ll peel back the curtain on the unexpected disadvantages of being rich.

Top 10 Surprising Downsides of Wealth

10 Alcoholism

Even though many assume that heavy drinking is a symptom of financial strain, research flips that script. A study spearheaded by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, which spanned more than 40 European nations, discovered that affluent societies such as Britain, Ireland, and Portugal actually top the charts for alcohol consumption. Across the continent, the wealthier you are, the more likely you are to reach for another glass.

The investigators concluded that the link isn’t about stress at all—it’s about access. Rich folks simply have the means to purchase and enjoy a greater volume of alcohol, which translates into higher rates of alcoholism among the well‑heeled.

So, while the stereotype of the broke, drunk neighbor might feel familiar, the data suggests the opposite: affluent people tend to drink more simply because they can afford to.

9 Anxiety And Depression

It’s a common belief that money solves all woes, but the affluent often grapple with their own mental health challenges. Studies have consistently linked higher income to elevated levels of anxiety, depression, narcissism, and even substance abuse. One particularly striking investigation found that teenagers living in upscale suburbs displayed more signs of maladjustment—including heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms—than their peers in inner‑city neighborhoods.

These findings underline a paradox: while wealth can boost overall life satisfaction, it also brings a suite of psychological stressors that aren’t always obvious at first glance.

8 Making More Money Only Makes You Moderately Happier

You might think that a bigger paycheck equals a bigger smile, but research tells a more nuanced story. While additional income does raise happiness up to a point, the effect plateaus. Once you cross a certain wealth threshold, each extra dollar has a minuscule impact on overall joy.

For instance, a person with a net worth of $10 million enjoys almost the same level of happiness as someone sitting on $100 million, even though the latter had to work far harder to earn that extra $90 million. The law of diminishing returns applies ruthlessly to the rich.

7 It’s Boring

The fantasy of endless leisure is a major driver for many aspiring millionaires. Yet, once you’ve secured enough wealth to never work again, the novelty can wear thin. One self‑made millionaire confided that the lack of daily challenges leads to a profound sense of boredom.

Without the routine of earning a living, motivation can evaporate, sometimes spiraling into depression. In other words, work isn’t just about money—it also fuels purpose and personal growth.

6 It Makes You More Averse To Taking Risk

Conventional wisdom says that a larger bankroll encourages bolder bets. The reality, however, is more complicated. While affluent individuals do indulge in small‑scale risks—think a weekend getaway or a modest startup investment—they become markedly conservative when the stakes rise relative to their overall wealth.

Multiple studies reveal that the richer you are, the more you tend to safeguard your fortune, especially when large sums are on the line. In short, big‑ticket financial decisions become a domain of caution rather than daring.

Top 10 Tips for Success in Everything

5 Stress

It’s easy to assume that financial security wipes out stress, but research paints a different picture. Older, higher‑earning workers often report higher levels of workplace stress than their younger, less‑affluent counterparts.

These findings suggest that wealth can amplify pressure, perhaps because high‑earning roles come with greater responsibility and expectations, while younger professionals may be more resilient or accustomed to navigating uncertainty.

4 Wealth Guilt

As global inequality sharpens, a new emotional burden has emerged among the affluent: wealth guilt. This feeling stems from the awareness of stark economic divides and the social backlash against conspicuous consumption.

Many wealthy individuals now consciously downplay their riches, shunning the “show‑off” mentality of the early 2000s in favor of a more modest public image, despite having earned their fortunes ethically.

3 It Makes You Less Generous

One might assume that a larger bank account translates to bigger charitable donations, but the opposite often holds true. Research shows that as personal wealth rises, individuals become more protective of their assets, leading to a measurable decline in generosity.

In essence, the more you have, the less inclined you may be to part with it, even when you have the means to make a significant impact.

2 …And Less Empathetic

Wealth doesn’t just affect your wallet; it can also blunt your capacity for empathy. Evolutionary psychologists argue that early human leaders needed to prioritize group survival over personal compassion, a trait that persists in modern high‑status individuals.

Consequently, those with substantial power and money often show reduced concern for others’ hardships, a pattern that science suggests is rooted in ancient survival mechanisms.

1 Narcissism

The stereotype of the “entitled brat” isn’t just pop‑culture fluff—it’s backed by research. Multiple studies link high net‑worth individuals to elevated narcissistic traits, such as excessive self‑admiration and a pronounced sense of entitlement.

These tendencies arise because wealth often breeds distrust: affluent people may suspect that others are attracted to them for their money, prompting a defensive inward focus that fuels narcissism.

10 Weirdest Stories About The Eccentric Rich

Whether it’s fancy houses, jewelry, expensive toys, or the accumulation of money, the game of wealthy, powerful people trying to outdo each other has been going on throughout history. Of course, this kind of behavior isn’t limited to the super-rich, and it must be remembered that there are plenty of those in the higher income brackets known for their philanthropy.

However, stories of shockingly decadent and outrageously lavish lifestyles have always drawn a lot of interest. From rivalries to grand gestures to simply showing off, these are 10 times rich people tried to top each other.

10 Alice and Alva Vanderbilt

Many families are competitive, but few have taken their rivalries to the level of sisters-in-law Alice Claypoole Vanderbilt (married to Cornelius Vanderbilt II) and Alva Vanderbilt (married to William Kissam Vanderbilt). During the late 19th century, the two women tried to top each other with the construction of elaborate summer homes in Newport, Rhode Island. These structures, called “cottages,” were more like palaces.

Designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt between 1888 and 1892, Alva’s Marble House was completed first. Although much of it was marble, and it was said to be modeled on the Petit Trianon at the Palace of Versailles, it would seem that Alice managed to top her with the same architect. Hunt designed The Breakers, a 70-room, five-story, all marble and steel house, 62,482-square-feet with a view of Easton Bay. Both houses are representative of the Gilded Age, and you can visit them to peek into this familial rivalry.^[1]

9 Richard Burton Outbids Aristotle Onassis

Although Richard Burton was an actor from Wales and Aristotle Onassis was an enormously wealthy Greek shipping tycoon, the two men had a surprising amount in common. This included their ostentatiously lavish lifestyles, a taste for celebrated women, and the willingness to spend astronomical sums on jewels for their lady loves.

It turned out that Burton was just getting warmed up when he purchased the 33.19-carat Krupp diamond for his wife at the time, film star Elizabeth Taylor. So when a 69.42-carat pear-shaped diamond went on the market, Burton was interested, as was Onassis, who was shopping for wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s birthday. Onassis decided that her gift had to be at least 40 carats because it was her 40th birthday.

When the thrilling auction was held in 1969, Onassis dropped out at $700,000. So it boiled down to Burton’s rep, who was given a limit of $1,000,000, and Robert Kenmore of Kenmore Corporation, which owned Cartier Jewelers. Kenmore won the diamond for $1,050,000. However, Burton quickly bought the stone from Cartier for $1.1 million, naming it the Taylor-Burton Diamond.^[2]

8 Gloria Guinness Shows Up Babe Paley

Two of the 20th century’s most famous socialites, Babe Paley and Gloria Guinness, were part of writer Truman Capote’s exclusive clique of wealthy, glamorous female friends known as “swans.” However, sometimes they behaved more like cats toward one another.

During their longstanding rivalry, Paley did her best to make sure everyone knew about Guinness’s shady past as a nightclub worker in Mexico. But Guinness was a worthy adversary who embarrassed and upstaged her frenemy when they vacationed together on the Guinness’s yacht. She tricked Paley, telling her to only pack casual clothes. Then, on the very first evening, “Gloria emerged from her luxury cabin dripping in jewels and glittering fabrics, all while insisting the group go to a formal dinner,” according to Factinate.^[3]

7 Katy Perry’s Bid for Orlando Bloom

It’s unusual to hear about a wealthy person outspending someone for a good cause, but that’s what happened when pop star Katy Perry paid $50,000 at a charity auction in 2018 for a date with Orlando Bloom. According to People, the event was to raise “money to help Malibu rebuild following the devastating California wildfires.” She outbid a woman who had offered $20,000.

At first, Perry was actually on stage trying to help auction off the lunch date with Bloom but then apparently had “second thoughts.” The most ironic part is that Bloom and Perry were already dating at the time, so she didn’t need to buy a date with him. But it was evidently worth it to her to prevent another woman from going out with her man.^[4]

6 Battle of the Skyscrapers

In what came to be known as “The Race into the Sky,” architect H. Craig Severance, who was designing a building for banker George Ohrstrom, competed with William Van Alen. Van Alen was designing the headquarters for the Chrysler Corporation to build the tallest building in the world. This wasn’t just a professional rivalry. The two men were former business partners whose association had ended badly.

Severance was so determined to outdo Van Alen that he added an additional two stories to the original plans and eventually added another 20 meters (65 feet), making the 62-floor building the tallest. However, the victory was short-lived as Van Alen had a trick up his sleeve. He added a 38-meter (125-foot) spire to the top of the 246-meter (808-foot) Chrysler Building, thereby winning the competition. Ironically, just one year later, in May 1931, the 381-meter (1,250-foot) tall Empire State Building, designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, beat out the Chrysler Building for the record, remaining the tallest building until the completion of the World Trade Center in 1973.^[5]

5 The Tobacco Heiress vs. The Dime Store Heiress

Doris Duke, born into a tobacco empire, and Barbara Hutton, who inherited a fortune generated from Woolworth’s 5 and 10 Cent Stores, were among the world’s wealthiest women. Their extravagant, outrageous lives were closely covered by the media, beginning in the 1930s. The heiresses started out as friends but later became bitter rivals. They frequently competed over men. This included when Duke flirted with Hutton’s ex-husband Cary Grant, which was followed up by Hutton marrying Duke’s ex-husband, Dominican diplomat and playboy Porfirio “Rubi” Rubirosa.

One particularly blatant example of Hutton using her wealth to try to steal a man from Duke was when she called Duke’s jazz musician boyfriend, Joe Castro, with an impressive offer, saying: “I’d give you more than she would. If you were with me, you’d have a symphony orchestra,” according to Town & Country.^[6]

4 Another Round of Duke vs. Hutton

During a rare time when the famous heiresses were actually getting along, Doris Duke invited Barbara Hutton to her home in Hawaii. However, Hutton, who was used to having her own way, turned out not to be a very gracious guest.

She didn’t care for the furnishings, so instead of merely giving Duke the name of her decorator, she used Duke’s absence as an opportunity to remove the furniture, which included priceless Asian artwork, replacing it with modern Japanese décor. When Duke came home, she reacted by throwing Hutton out.^[7]

3 Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller

Steel titan Andrew Carnegie and oil baron John D. Rockefeller had a long rivalry, fueled on Carnegie’s part by a hunger for revenge. Carnegie blamed Rockefeller for the “1873 crash that hurt his biggest customers, the railroads.” He also held Rockefeller responsible for the death of his mentor, Thomas Scott, who died just a few years after the crash. Carnegie’s goal was to amass a bigger fortune than Rockefeller and replace him as the richest man in the world. In his effort to accomplish this, Carnegie went into business with the ruthless former coal baron Henry Clay Frick, who helped grow their steel company by buying out competitors.

However, Frick’s irresponsible actions while building an “exclusive men’s club for the rich and famous” led to the horrific 1889 Johnstown Flood that killed 2,209 people. After that, Andrew Carnegie, a member of the club, re-evaluated his priorities. No longer ruled by greed and vengeance, Carnegie launched into the generous philanthropy he is remembered for today.^[8]

2 The Nouveau Riche Vanderbilts Break into High Society

Once upon a time in old New York, the iconic Vanderbilts, who made their fortune in the railroads, were looked down on as “new money” and refused entry into high society by the old guard, which was ruled by Mrs. Astor. This was distressing, particularly to the social-climbing Alva Vanderbilt. However, what the family lacked in pedigree, they often made up for in unabashed extravagance. The thing that finally wore down Astor was her daughter’s desperation to be invited to Vanderbilt’s spectacular costume ball held as a housewarming party for Cornelius and Alva’s French chateau-inspired New York townhouse.

The now legendary ball on March 26, 1883, in which guests wore custom-made costumes, dressing as historical and mythical figures, was over-the-top opulent. The ballroom of their Fifth Avenue home was completely transformed into a “fairyland.” There were vases and baskets filled with myriads of roses, and the rooms were decorated in gold and silver. The Vanderbilt spent $65,000 on champagne, catering, and cigars alone. The entire party cost $240,000—an estimated $7 million in today’s dollars.

In order to score seats at the hottest ticket in town, Astor swallowed her pride and left her calling card at Vanderbilt’s house, signalling that the Vanderbilt family was movin’ on up.^[9]

1 William Randolph Hearst Tops Everyone

The controversial, larger-than-life publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst, best known today as the inspiration for Citizen Kane, topped just about everybody when he built the fantastical and unbelievably lavish Hearst Castle or La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill) on his vast San Simeon, CA, ranch. Designed by architect Julia Morgan in the Mediterranean Revival style, La Casa Grande (The Big House) comprises “115 rooms—including 38 bedrooms and 41 bathrooms—and has a cathedral-like facade, complete with two bell towers.”

With an interior décor and architecture that was inspired by European palaces and churches, the mansion features a huge collection of antiques and artworks. The grounds included what was once the largest private zoo. Hearst’s estate is something you would expect to only find in a movie, so it’s fitting that it became the playground of Hollywood A-listers like Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis, Cary Grant, Gloria Swansen, and Clark Gable, who would attend elaborate parties hosted by Hearst’s mistress, actress Marion Davies.

Hearst could be very competitive in his professional life. His fierce rivalry with Joseph Pulitzer is well documented. However, the most compelling part of his legacy may be his home, which makes most other famous showplaces look shabby by comparison.^[10]