The 15 Most Out-of-Touch Things Rich People Have Said About Poverty

Individuals with significant wealth may struggle to grasp the challenges faced by those with fewer financial resources. This disconnect can result in insensitive or irrelevant comments when engaging with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

A user asked the forum, “What’s the most out-of-touch thing a rich person has said to you?”. Let’s have a look at the top responses.

YOU HAVE TO WORK TWO JOBS?

“Isn’t it funny we are the same age, but my dad bought me a condo, and you have to work two jobs?” says a user.

Many rich people live in a bubble where they rarely encounter people who work two jobs. Their network might consist primarily of other wealthy individuals, business associates, and professionals who have different work experiences. This limited exposure leads to a lack of understanding of the realities of working long hours for multiple employers.

THAT LITTLE HOUSE IS SO DINKY

“Built a 3mil+ house for a couple. After the neighbors built their home, we talked, and the wife said, ‘That little house is so dinky. We have a joke going that we call ‘the helps house.’ Now, this is still a 750k-1 mil home, no less. Just struck me as not very grounded,” says a user.

A house is more than just a place to live for overly wealthy folks. It’s a status symbol, a playground for their extravagant hobbies, an investment, and sometimes even a tax shelter. They’re not looking for just any house; they want a mansion with all the bells and whistles: swimming pools, tennis courts, movie theaters, you name it. As such, some of them can even find houses worth 1 million to be cheap!

TRAVEL THE WORLD

“I was between jobs, and a bunch of my friends told me I should take the time to travel the world. Like a) just because someone doesn’t have a job doesn’t mean they can just up & travel the world- in fact, the opposite is more likely, but also b) you thought the reason I wasn’t traveling the world because I hadn’t thought of it?” says a user.

That’s the reality for the super-rich, where traveling the globe isn’t a luxury; it’s just another item on the to-do list. They think other people don’t travel because they never gave it a thought!

LASER HAIR REMOVAL

“She said, ‘I have no hair on my body! You should have your husband take you to get laser hair removal! It only cost me $10,000’. Maybe in my dreams. She was the Mayor’s daughter, and I was catering her dog’s birthday party,” says a user.

For rich people, laser hair removal might be seen as a routine expense similar to other self-care activities, like getting a massage or joining a gym. It’s not a necessity, but it’s something they value and prioritize because it improves their quality of life.

BUYING ANOTHER CONDO

“They lived in Boston, and we were talking about how small condos are there. They were lamenting that they had no space and, as a result, had to buy another condo (this was Beacon Hill) because they ran out of space to store their Persian rugs,” says a user.

Having a second condo means you never have to worry about running out of space. You can have a home gym, a movie theater, and even a private bowling alley, all within walking distance of your primary residence. Although not everyone can afford this kind of extravagance, for the ultra-rich, it’s just another way to indulge in their lavish lifestyle. It’s like buying a second pair of shoes, only instead of shoes, it’s a fully furnished apartment.

BUYING EMPTY PLOTS TO AVOID HAVING NEIGHBORS

“I just bought the empty plot next to ours so that we won’t have neighbors,” says a user.

Some people are so rich that they buy the empty plots next to their estates. Think of it like creating a private buffer zone: no noisy neighbors, no prying eyes, just pure luxury and seclusion. Of course, this luxury comes with a hefty price tag. Those empty plots don’t come cheap, and maintaining them isn’t exactly a walk in the park. But hey, for the right amount of peace and quiet, some people are willing to pay the premium.

LETTING GO OF ALL THE EXPENSIVE STUFF

” ‘Oh yeah, you can keep all of this since I’m moving out. I’ll buy new stuff for my next place,’ – said some dude I knew who was taking classes at a prestigious university in a very nice studio apartment, whose father had just flown in from Indonesia to help him pack his clothes. I got a full mattress set that was about 3k, multiple leathers for carpeting, expensive-looking paintings, way too much IKEA stuff, and a Dyson vacuum,” shared a user.

That’s the life of many wealthy people. They’ve accumulated so much stuff it starts to feel like clutter instead of treasures. So what do they do? They give it away! 

WE SELL RIGHT HERE

“I was working at a car dealership and saw the owner pull up in a $250k Porsche GT3. Told him how much I loved the car and dreamt of owning one someday. The owner looked at me confused and said, ‘What do you mean? We sell them right here, you know?’ Blew my mind that he didn’t realize his employees couldn’t afford the cars they were selling,” says a user.

OFFERING THEIR LEVERAGES TO FRIENDS

“One thing I’ve learned about very wealthy people is they tend to hang around with other very wealthy people. I mean, if I want to take a vacation to Aspen and go skiing, I’m going to pay for that, between flight, equipment rental, and hotel. Wealthy people will talk to their friends, who will offer up their multi-million dollar chalet that they have just for funzies. They will have a ski chalet that they rarely go to that houses all of their top-of-the-line ski equipment and offer it to their friends,” says a user.

That’s the power of having rich friends. It’s like having a cheat code for life, a VIP pass to a world of opportunities most people can only dream of, especially when you are rich. These friends aren’t just your drinking buddies; they’re your network of leverage, offering you access to exclusive things.

I FORGOT THAT I OWN A BOAT

“My boss is an attorney. A client filling out her financial statement for a divorce realized that she had forgotten to include her student loans on the report. Laughing ruefully, she said, ‘I can’t believe I forgot to include that.’ In a bright, sunny voice, my boss laughed and said, ‘I sometimes forget that I own a boat!’ The client and I quietly locked eyes with a shared understanding of how out of touch that was,” shared a user.

For most of us, owning a boat is like a distant dream, something out of a glossy magazine. We can barely imagine the luxury of owning one, let alone forgetting about it! 

HAWAIIAN HONEYMOON

“My boss’s wife grew up wealthy and then married an ‘heir to the throne’ for a multi-million dollar organization. One day, she is meandering around our office bullpen and brings me into the conversation, ‘How about you? Where would you take your lady on a Honeymoon?’

Me: I don’t know, go to the coast for a week and just enjoy the sun.

She laughed out loud at me and said, ‘Oh my god, no woman will ever marry you unless you’re going to take her on a Hawaiian honeymoon.’ At the time, I made $10 an hour,” shared a user.

For most people, saving up for a trip to Hawaii takes months or even years. They have to juggle bills, rent, car payments, and all the other things that come with adult life. The idea of spending thousands of dollars on a week-long vacation, no matter how special the occasion, doesn’t seem feasible. 

PRIVATE FLIGHTS AND PRIVATE HELICOPTER

An internet user worked for a small company owned by two wealthy individuals. They were very kind and generous but entirely out of touch. One day, he was at his desk, and his then-boss came to him and said he was leaving early for the day to go water skiing because the weather was nice. It was early summer, and the weather was no nicer than it had been the rest of the week. The user inquired where they were going, thinking it was somewhere near where they were, and his boss said he was going to his friend’s house in Florida. He’d just booked his private flight, around a 3-3.5 hour flight.

“Then there was the time he left early to fly to his friend’s house to go quail hunting. The other owner, also wealthy, would jet around the world on a whim to go surfing. Like everywhere. During a conversation about what we were doing for the holidays one year, he said he rented a big house in Canada and hired a helicopter so he, his family, and friends could go heli-skiing. It was a normal thing to him,” the user further explained.

LET YOUR NANNY TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS

“Boss: My wife and I decided you and your wife should join us in the Caribbean. I’ll pay for everything.

Me: We appreciate the offer, but we won’t be able to afford it.

Boss: Why?

Me: I’d have to hire someone to watch the kids.

Boss: What? Surely your nanny can handle that!” shared a user.

Hiring a full-time nanny is a luxury, not a necessity. Think about it: it’s another salary to pay on top of all your other bills. For the average person, that’s not affordable. But for wealthy folks with flexible schedules or businesses they run themselves, having a nanny allows them more freedom and flexibility in their day, which feels quite out of touch for most others.

JUST COME TO LONDON

“My CEO’s daughter was talking to me, and she now lives in the UK. She bought a place in London. I mentioned I have some family over there that I’ve always been interested in visiting and hoped to see one day. Her response? Just go. It’s as easy as buying a plane ticket. She had no idea why I hadn’t gone yet,” says a user.

Traveling abroad is a privilege for most people, a once-in-a-lifetime splurge, or a distant dream. We must carefully budget, save for months, and agonize over every expense. We can’t just hop on a plane whenever the mood strikes. Meanwhile, it’s practically a standard part of life for the rich. It’s hard to relate to someone who considers something you consider a luxury as ordinary. 

ASK YOUR MOM TO BUY IT

“An ex-friend of mine whose family was very wealthy while we were in high school. She was looking at Kate Spade bags online to pick out so her mom could buy her one for Christmas. I pointed out one I liked, and she said, ‘Why don’t you ask your mom to buy it for you?’ They’re like $500. I remember eventually explaining to her that my mom works three jobs because we’re broke, and she said, ‘I didn’t know you were poor’,” says a user.

For middle-class folks, buying a fancy brand or something super expensive is a special occasion, a reward for hitting a major milestone or years of saving. It’s a splurge, a treat that feels out of the ordinary. But for rich people, it’s just another day at the store. They can buy whatever they want, whenever they want, without even thinking twice about the cost.

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This article was originally published on Mrs. Daaku Studio.