The Ultimate Status Symbol? A big Family — Financial Times

[Anonymous]

https://on.ft.com/3Vhe2zk

A flex of Uber wealth in 2025 is multiple children — all while preserving pre-parenthood lifestyle, physique, and interests

“ According to a Forbes study of more than 700 American billionaires, at least 22 have seven or more children
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“ Behold the fixation of frazzled millennial working women (and others) with the “trad wife” movement, a social media phenomenon that glorifies home steading, milkmaids and taking care of your husband and offspring. Its brightest star, Hannah Neeleman of Ballerina Farm, has attracted a 10mn-strong following on Instagram thanks in no small part to her eight immaculately dishevelled blond children with her husband Daniel Neeleman, the son of JetBlue founder and airline mogul David Neeleman.”

“ Huge families are increasingly visible among the 1 per cent, especially in some of the world’s wealthiest and most competitive enclaves such as New York City. In her widely read (if controversial) book Primates of Park Avenue, Wednesday Martin memorably observes that “massive families — they were everywhere” on the Upper East Side, a neighbourhood with some of the most expensive real estate, schools, nannies and hobbies in America.

“Four is the new three — previously conversation-stopping, but now nothing unusual,” she writes. “Five is no longer crazy or religious — it just means you are rich. And six is apparently the new townhouse — or Gulfstream.”

“ Having a big family sends a signal of confidence in the future. And which demographic feels more secure than most? Those with more money”

“ Artipoppe offers $800 velvet and cashmere baby carriers that have been heralded as the “Birkin of mom gear,” rebranding wearing a baby as an ultimate luxury accessory.

Mini-me designer collections and $600 high-tops allow an army of children to dress like their parents as well as one another. And while labels such as Patek Philippe and Dolce & Gabbana have long placed glamorised visions of family at the heart of their advertising campaigns, newer efforts from Bottega Veneta and Burberry wink at the idea of modern parenting as a stylised cultural performance that, according to brand strategist Eugene Healey, signifies a maturing of tastes and preferences.”

[Anonymous]

I think large families are great but the few I have actual experience with are not super rich.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s even a middle/upper middle status symbol. I have 2 cousins with regular jobs in the Midwest, both married to men with regular jobs, 4 kids each. I’m a Millennial and the only people I knew growing up with 4+ kids were religious, or some of them were half or step siblings.

But now, 4+ kids means you met your spouse and started having kids young enough that it was an option, and that you’re doing well enough on income that you can make it work financially. I feel like I’m seeing more of both the larger families and one and done by choice these days and comparatively fewer in the middle with 2 or 3 kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it’s even a middle/upper middle status symbol. I have 2 cousins with regular jobs in the Midwest, both married to men with regular jobs, 4 kids each. I’m a Millennial and the only people I knew growing up with 4+ kids were religious, or some of them were half or step siblings.

But now, 4+ kids means you met your spouse and started having kids young enough that it was an option, and that you’re doing well enough on income that you can make it work financially. I feel like I’m seeing more of both the larger families and one and done by choice these days and comparatively fewer in the middle with 2 or 3 kids.

In the case of 4+ I know of, it is because the woman's family has money and that's how they were able to afford their lifestyle and purchase a six bedroom home. There is no way they could have done it without family money.

[Anonymous]

Yes. We started this trend in 2008. We have 5 children now.

[Anonymous]

I think that certain political interests are trying to make this a trend, and, ultimately, the status quo for all white families.

[Anonymous]

I don't know any intelligent rich with that many kids. Can you be dumb and rich? Absolutely. Trashy rich

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think large families are great but the few I have actual experience with are not super rich.

+1. In fact in my experience they tended to be lower middle class and religious. In some cases they were from the 1980s "outbreed the heathens movement" and ended up breeding...a lot more heathens. But still - many awesome human beings (religious or not) came from those large families.

[Anonymous]

"...all while preserving pre-parenthood lifestyle, physique, and interests"

That's the issue - it usually doesnt happen this way. Most of the large families I know are very low income or blended second/older families.

[Anonymous]

Maybe it’s like this in Manhattan, but around here all the 5+ kid families are observant Catholics and the moms all look sort of frumpy. You know, the Oakcrest/The Heights moms with the large passenger vans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that certain political interests are trying to make this a trend, and, ultimately, the status quo for all white families.

Won't work unless white families (and most families) make more money. Only the UMC and the very poor would have more than 2 kids right now.

[Anonymous]

I know a family with 6 kids. They live in a wealthy suburb of NYC. All 6 kids went to boarding school then private colleges. They own a home at the beach and at a Colorado ski resort. Based on IG pics, they likely fly private because their 2 big dogs seem to always be at the Colorado house with them. Both parents are from large Irish Catholic families. His birth family is super rich and he's done very well on Wall St. The parents always seem to be travelling - either to one of their homes, to visit the kids are their various schools or schools abroad or on some sort of girls/boys trip. They seem happy and all of the kids seem normal. Must be nice. But my God, the cost of that lifestyle!

[Anonymous]

Majority of these families are with strong Christian or Jewish upbringing, so no surprise that they don't abort their babies.

[Anonymous]

Clickbait articles like that are what "journalism" has been reduced to now.

National Enquirer tabloid garbage.

[Anonymous]

I think focusing on weird outliers like the Ballerina Farms people makes it seem extreme or religious. But I was just telling a friend of mine that it's a flex in the rich neighborhood I grew up in. Four kids, SAHM plus nanny. Moms stay in great shape, house renos, travel, lots of social stuff. This is not people living on a ranch and being tradwives or even particularly religious. It's been a flex for some people for a long time.