What qualifies as 'Old money'?

[Anonymous]

Why do you equate White House dinners with old money?

[Anonymous]

My favorite old money people are the ones without it. Their family once had it, and they still may belong to clubs, and attend the parties, etc. but often you'll hear through the grapevine that they're staying at someone's house where they used to own one, or their bar tab is long. Maybe you find that more in Palm Beach than DC though. Lots of poor "old money" people there who are successful at keeping up appearances using OPM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

12:45 - you know not to whom you speak. Which makes this especially funny.

Funny, if you eliminate all the people you mentioned, there would be hardly anyone left. And certainly not the old money you are dreaming about.

Next time you attend a White House dinner - and are actually invited - you tell me who is there. Better yet, I'll text you.

Barf.

[Anonymous]

Don't know about all Old Money folks being happy. Most of the old money families I know, and I know a lot, have a history of alcoholism and/or depression in the genepool..
But yes, most OM people are not at all flashy. They don't believe in being pretentious and would much rather drive an old Volvo and wear hand-me-downs and shop at Sears than waste money frivously.

[Anonymous]

White House Dinners have nothing to do with OM, but you might find one or two OM in attendance there.

In our shishi private school, there are endless wannabes, but no genuine OM.

Its funny to me that many in certain circles here hold a picture of OM in their head that isn't close to accurate.

At a recent event, I spotted a local VIP with the blonde hair extensions and an inappropriate outfit air kissing everyone they thought was important. I see where the Salahis get their delusions!

Point being, this area is so much more pretentious than not; if you are looking for the OM attitude or cues, you are NOT going to find it here!

[Anonymous]

DC never had big industry (thank goodness) like Baltimore, Pittsburg, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Therefore, few families with megabucks. Even now, the newer industries like computers for the most part aren't located here. We have tons of upper middle class families though.

[Anonymous]

I think the D.C. attitude comes from a sheer frustration of NOT being old money. It's pretty obvious from the looks on peoples faces around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:55 you have no idea what you're talking about. Drive around Georgetown and tell me again there are no homes here over 100 years old. I am third generation Washington and while not old money myself, know LOTS of people who are. You don't see them b/c they don't care about your "lists" and what all of the new glossy magazines seem to consider society. Go to Miss Simpsons cotillion; the Chevy Chase Club, and the Metroplitan Club. Your stereotypes about enjoying themselves and "living life" are hilarious and naive. Money doesn't buy happiness, and a lot of people who are "old" money don't really have that much of it. People like the Salahis are very, very new to this area and those of us who have been here more than 15 years wish the IT and lobbying booms had never come b/c of the way they all have commercialized what used to be our nice, small city - we don't count the people who come and go with politics.

This poster is most accurate (see also Sulgrave Club and the green book) and 11:55/12:49 sounds clueless. White House dinners have very little to do with old Washington society. Its been quite a while since we had that kind of a president. Those Washingtonians in their 70s and up, who still call Kenndedy patriarch Joe a low life criminal upstart, could clue you in 11:55. Old blue-blood waspy families certainly exists in Washington, maybe not at the same quantities as parts of the northeast, but they are here. Anyway, so called "Old Money" is not about money and only the nouveau riche describe them that way. Clearly 11:55/12:49 is NOKD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All American money is new money.

This. No such thing as old money in America. Everyone with money in America is nouveau riche no matter how you try to spin it.

[Anonymous]

I live in a house that is 110 years old, and I am definitely not old money or new money!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't know about all Old Money folks being happy. Most of the old money families I know, and I know a lot, have a history of alcoholism and/or depression in the genepool..
But yes, most OM people are not at all flashy. They don't believe in being pretentious and would much rather drive an old Volvo and wear hand-me-downs and shop at Sears than waste money frivously.

from inbreeding

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:55 you have no idea what you're talking about. Drive around Georgetown and tell me again there are no homes here over 100 years old. I am third generation Washington and while not old money myself, know LOTS of people who are. You don't see them b/c they don't care about your "lists" and what all of the new glossy magazines seem to consider society. Go to Miss Simpsons cotillion; the Chevy Chase Club, and the Metroplitan Club. Your stereotypes about enjoying themselves and "living life" are hilarious and naive. Money doesn't buy happiness, and a lot of people who are "old" money don't really have that much of it. People like the Salahis are very, very new to this area and those of us who have been here more than 15 years wish the IT and lobbying booms had never come b/c of the way they all have commercialized what used to be our nice, small city - we don't count the people who come and go with politics.

Disagree.
Georgetown in parts used to be a slum. Some of the nicer areas in DC were around Columbia Road, but still no great shakes.
If you compare the nice old homes in Philly and Baltimore, they blow anything in DC away. In certain parts of Philly, there are homes that look like palaces. They had access to tons of cash back then.

I dated a man whose great gradfather made lots of money in trnsportation back in the 1800s. On his mother's side there was also money. The funny thing was that it turned me off. There is nothing like a man talking about his father's money to emasculate him quickly. I felt like I was dealing with a boy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Old money is not easily defined.

There is not much old money in Washington.

If you think you see old money, you probably do not.

They are educated, considerate, generous and mindful. Not only do they have money and do NOT show it off, they act as if they enjoy life. They are happy, and *very much* in tune to the fact that money does not buy happiness. [You will find this if you meet famous people who have attained a certain degree of success, from certain places.] They are carefree and in the moment.

It is not a Washington way to be. Washington is far more pretentious than old money. There is far more new money than old money in general, and especially, in the D.C. area.

Most old money does not dress/act like the upper echelon private schools in this area, nor the patrons at "KenCen", Arena Stage, and the like.

Big money is from a very, very, very small tax bracket. Old money is from a smaller tax bracket.

I speak from experience.

The reason D.C.'ers take offense to old money is - there is very little (if any) old money in D.C.; and because D.C.'ers like to have lists, or things to "aspire" to, and old money is impossible to attain from a list.

Look around. How many enormous old homes (NOT add ons) are original in this area? How many enormous, well built, attention-to-detail, *truly* custom homes have been here for 100 years or more?

Old money is NOT easily impressed.

People like the Salahis could really have only materialized (pun intended) in this area.

There is more.....

This is just weird.

"There is more....."
like the ending of a bad novel

[Anonymous]

My father's side was old money....

They had millions upon millions.

The women wore the SAME clothes until they fell off (albeit very nice) and the men, pretty much the same.

They all lived along the Main Line in Philly and has servants and cooks and nannies and houses strewn all over the place BUT NEVER TALKED ABOUT MONEY. There was nothing worse.

The money is largely gone now...but the point is that you NEVER would have guessed that they were old money. Most of the family lived quite frugally, by our standards.

I personally think that that is a hallmark of old money...NOT SHOWY.

[Anonymous]

PP here again. I also have to add that EDUCATION was of primary importance and everyone went to the best schools and played sports and was very active alumni, blah blah blah. The bragging points in the family were the educations, not much more!