The first time that I realized one of my classmates was rich was when a uniformed driver came to pick her up from school while the rest of us rode the bus home. It was a realization, but trust me, it was very basic because the rich have done far grander things that we commoners can't even imagine.
When Reddit user MintTheMartian asked, "What did you see in someone's home that told you, 'Yep, they're rich'?" netizens gushed with these signs. Some of these things will make you go, "whoa" while others might even make you question what you are doing with your life. Piqued your interest, have we? Well, just scroll down and check them out for yourself!
More info: Reddit
#1
My friends dad was a oil tycoon. He had a T-Rex skeleton in his hallway.
Image credits: 295DVRKSS
#2
I grew up poor and always thought the epitome of making it was of someone had an ice maker in their fridge freezer. I’m now 45 and am living in my first ever house with an ice maker. IT’S AWESOME.
Image credits: barredowl123
#3
College friend who had a thick southern accent and generally put out a “country boy” vibe, though he lived in the DC suburbs of Maryland. Invited us to his parent’s house on the border of West Virginia so we could go skiing at Snowshoe. We figured: tarpaper shack.
The 3-story wall of windows looking out on 300 feet of frontage on Deep Creek Lake was a giveaway that “country boy” was not what he seemed.
On a sad note: I’m going to his memorial party on Friday. He passed away in a freak home accident on Jan. 3. I’ve known him now for almost 40 years. This is the big get together of his college friends (his funeral was small, family-only). And it will be a *party*. Because he was the kind of guy who inspired that. Expecting over a hundred equally close friends to attend.
Image credits: mykepagan
According to USA Today, the top 10% of Americans held 60% of all wealth in 2022, while the top 1% held 27% of all wealth in the same year. As of June 2024, Elon Musk was estimated as the wealthiest person in the United States with a net worth of around 195 billion dollars.
I know what you are thinking: "That's a LOT of money!" But what do people generally do with that much money? Buy objects and display them in their houses, of course. However, looking at these statistics, it just makes you wonder what being rich really means, and whether being wealthy is the same.
#4
Once a friend invited me to go with him to his family farm for the holidays. I was driving and it was a long drive. Once we were inside a dirt road that was simply endless. 40 min in I asked when do get to the property. He looked confused and said “we been at the property for the last 40 minutes”.
Basically the farmland 100k acres big. This was in Argentina.
Image credits: rodriar
#5
A kid I was friends with in high school.
His parents had a new house custom built. Huge house, custom woodwork, beautiful details throughout. Very expensive. I used to go over and hang out with my friend, swim in the pool, watch movies in their theater, etc. But despite all that, the thing that stood out to me was this: one day I walk in and there’s a brand new Steinway grand piano in the living room. His mom says she wanted to learn to play the piano so they bought one.
I play piano. Steinway pianos are amazing. They play beautifully and sound wonderful. Every Steinway piano is handmade in only one of two locations in the world. They’re like the Rolls Royce of pianos. This piano probably cost over $100,000. And they bought one just because she wanted to learn to play.
Image credits: Rankorking
#6
I work I. Real estate and sold a 4 story warehouse to this guy. He was really laid back and paid like $600k for it. I told him I wanted to come back when he remodeled it. About 18 months later he called and said he’s done and to come by. The first floor was a bunch of exotic cars, had an elevator. The top floor was his master bedroom and the roof was his patio. This was the greatest bachelor pad I’ve ever been in.
Image credits: Agent865
Writer and entrepreneur Kasia Manolas states in one of her articles that being rich is having things: a nice house, car, and clothes—while being wealthy is about the money you hold onto. She explains that you can see when someone is rich, but you cannot see when someone is wealthy.
A Forbes article elaborates that rich people let everyone around them know how successful they are, while wealthy people are focused not on how others view them, but on what their money can provide them for peace of mind and security. Although the difference might seem slight, it does make sense if you really think about it.
#7
Happy family. Everyone is happy, clean clothes, food seems plentiful. Not saying that every rich family is happy, but having money really fixes a lot of stressors in life.
Image credits: WhiteBeltKilla
#8
A copy of Architectural Digest magazine with their house on the cover.
Image credits: Bigbird_Elephant
#9
A Monet in their office. The penthouse apartment with direct view of the Empire State Building was also a pretty big giveaway.
Image credits: LittleKitty235
On the other hand, financial advisor Andrew Rosen shares in one of his articles, "Being rich means adding more zeros to your bank account, but being wealthy is about living your life with zero regrets, zero jealousy, and focusing on what brings you joy and happiness."
"In my experience, the happiest people I know are the wealthiest, but it has nothing to do with how much is in their bank accounts," he elaborated.
#10
You're at their 4th home.
Image credits: scarfaC3_rye92
#11
I was driving to a classmates house for a school project. I drove up and knocked. No one answered. I called and she answered. I explained I was at their front door. She said "oh you're probably at the barn. Keep driving up the hill. You'll see the house."
By house, she meant chateau. Turns out her dad was from Switzerland on owned several construction companies. Their house was actually featured on the show Grimm featured in the Portland oregon area. They were super kind, and I became like an adopted son. I loved house sitting for them.
Image credits: hobbes8889
#12
The wall long built in floor to ceiling salt water aquarium being maintained by the fish guy scubaing in it.
Image credits: afternever
A Harvard study followed 724 teenagers from their youth to their retirement. This study suggested that there was an association between connections, such as your social circle, and happiness when you reach retirement age.
Andrew Rosen narrates that the happiest among those who were retired had similar traits when it came to their mindset, not their bank account.
#13
“FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY: DO NOT REPRODUCE” on an otherwise unmarked DVD. It was a movie that wasn’t out yet that was going to be nominated for the Oscars. Made me realize that my friend’s mom was kind of a big deal.
Image credits: Soulfighter56
#14
The 64 size Crayola crayon box, with the built-in sharpener..
Image credits: ChefOfTheFuture39
#15
A stone-brick walk around their property with an iron gate.
Image credits: ThatMassholeInBawstn
Well, that surely gave me something to think about. Next time when I dream about owning a house with a helipad, I will definitely ask myself whether I want to be rich or wealthy.
What about you? What signs have you noticed about people that revealed their richness and did it make you wish to be loaded with fortune as well? Now, don't be shy; it's ok to want what you want. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments. Also, let us know which thing in this listicle surprised you the most!
#16
No full street address.
Just “the name of their house”, Hampshire. .
Image credits: four__beasts
#17
Not even **in** their house. Was driving to their home and was looking for which side street off the main road they were on when GPS said "you've arrived" but I saw no house. Made a U-turn and realized the side street was actually their 0.4 mile driveway.
Image credits: Zemekes
#18
When they have a very confusing sink.
Image credits: ImpossibleCorgi5602
#19
A personal chef.
Image credits: wayoverpaid
#20
The butler that took my coat.
Image credits: cheezemeister_x
#21
If your couch isn’t up against a wall.
Image credits: No-Maintenance5006
#22
I was bartending a July 4th party on his outdoor rooftop bar. $300 bottles of champagne, miller lights, obscure sonoma valley reds, pricy tequila.
After the party, I was breaking everything down. He came out on the deck with me to kick it and was hitting a solid gold [substance] pen. We were having a beer and sharing the pen. He casually dropped, like it was a speeding ticket, that the glass windows in the house cost $2.5m.
This was his beach house.
EDIT: He was not the wealthiest person in the neighborhood. One of his neighbors had a Van Gogh in their living room.
Image credits: Superb-Struggle1162
#23
Did work on a "summer home" for $3 million. Did the ventilation on that house that sat on a cliff by the ocean. The house was double the size of an average home. An infinity pool that was heated all year. Mind you that it is in sweden where winters can get quite cold. Dont wanna know the cost for having it heated all year. The chandelier at the main hall did cost around $20k and not a single sharp edge on the house. Every wall was curved in some way.
Image credits: Flashignite2
#24
A VCR and HBO.
Image credits: thermboz
#25
Visiting friends and my wife sees a bronze sculpture of a cowboy on the coffee table and says, gee that looks like a Remington, and our hostess says yeah it is.
Image credits: loublain
#26
They bought two apartments and turned them into one huge unit (walls were torn down, plumbing was modified, etc.). They also had a room with separate temperature and humidity control that was used as a wine cellar.
Image credits: ThisActuator3213
#27
When I was a kid it was a bidet. Now that I'm an adult it's a La Cornue range.
Image credits: Ruby-Skylar
#28
The DeLorean in his garage was kind of a hint, but the easily $25,000 ***huge*** amethyst crystals he had in his living room as a gewgaw sort of underscored it, not to mention the original Picasso on the wall.
#29
Their kitchen appliances are disguised to look like cabinets.
#30
They have their own security guard.
#31
An actual Baroque-era harpsichord.
#32
Aside from the indoor hot tub, heated floors, and movie theatre, the 24ft ceilings and grand entrance really did it for me.
Image credits: brunofuckme
#33
I went to the private high school all the extrememly wealthy kids go to in a major US city despite not being one. The most ostentatious thing I saw in any of my friends homes was the guest house had a full-sized vintage racecar in the living room.
Image credits: CannabisAttorney
#34
Six-car heated garage.
Image credits: Earthling1a
#35
They bought the top 2 floors in a new built tower to have high ceilings and added a 5 meter glass box balcony. No other flat has any sort of balcony.
