The Ultimate Status Symbol? A big Family — Financial Times

[Anonymous]

Billionaires don't raise their own kids so that's that. Popping out kids and handing them to the staff isn't the same thing as raising a bug family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Why does it have to be a flex or trashy and ignorant? Why can't it simply be a choice? I'm one of six children. My extended family is also large and I have maybe 30 cousins just on my mom's side.

My parents weren't dumb or trashy. They prized education above all else, and my dad had a PhD. While we weren't wealthy, my parents sacrificed to give us every advantage and opportunity they could. We were well-traveled, each of us had a car when we turned 16, most of us attended private schools, and all of us attended private colleges.

Throughout my life, I've seen people react to the size of our family. My mother said that people used to tell her "you do know about birth control, right?" As if she were stupid and "trashy." And yet many, many people from smaller families gravitated to us wanting to be part of what they saw as a noisy and fun household. We welcomed so many into our family holidays, and still do. My siblings are the best thing that my parents did for me, because I have a built-in lifelong support system. And research on aging says that's as important as any other health factor in aging.

Because my husband and I started late and had fertility issues, we only have two children. I regret it, but my children are close with all their cousins and have grown up with the benefits of enormous family gatherings, even though we're all scattered throughout the country. As they've contemplated their college and career choices, there's always someone in the extended family that they could call for networking or mentorship.

There are probably valid criticisms to make about the environmental impact of a large family. But it's been interesting to read these last few years about collapsing populations and what that means for supporting an aging population. My mom is getting the last laugh after enduring decades of snide, judgmental remarks.

Are you a boomer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are all tgese big billionaire families consist of same two parents or are there multiple partners and step siblings?

This. I absolutely believe that rich couples are havging 4+ as a flex / something to do with their money, but the very rich seem to reach this number with blended families or multiple partners. I think it's two different situations that get lumped together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lot of responses on here from people that must be insanely insecure. Pretty sad. We’ve got 4. We do well but are hardly super rich. Yes one of us is SAM (and works insanely hard, 4 is a lot) and the other works really hard in a career they love, but is also incredibly present. It’s a choice we made. We’re not god-squad, and we don’t have help. And the thought that it’s a social flex is actually sickening. Get the F over yourselves.

The person who sounds most insecure here if you, actually.

[Anonymous]

We had a big family exactly for these reasons. We are not religious at all. We do have a nanny that helps out with the younger ones and a housekeeper. DH and I both came from medium sized families (3 or more siblings).

[Anonymous]

I live in the Midwest and a big family isn’t a flex. While most of my friends have 1-2 kids, I also know families that have 4-5 kids. While it’s not the norm, it’s not unusual either.

I do know a family with 11 kids and that’s not a flex, that’s hardcore religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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
”

“ 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.”

I’m shocked that people who can afford more kids have more kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

Why does it have to be a flex or trashy and ignorant? Why can't it simply be a choice? I'm one of six children. My extended family is also large and I have maybe 30 cousins just on my mom's side.

My parents weren't dumb or trashy. They prized education above all else, and my dad had a PhD. While we weren't wealthy, my parents sacrificed to give us every advantage and opportunity they could. We were well-traveled, each of us had a car when we turned 16, most of us attended private schools, and all of us attended private colleges.

Throughout my life, I've seen people react to the size of our family. My mother said that people used to tell her "you do know about birth control, right?" As if she were stupid and "trashy." And yet many, many people from smaller families gravitated to us wanting to be part of what they saw as a noisy and fun household. We welcomed so many into our family holidays, and still do. My siblings are the best thing that my parents did for me, because I have a built-in lifelong support system. And research on aging says that's as important as any other health factor in aging.

Because my husband and I started late and had fertility issues, we only have two children. I regret it, but my children are close with all their cousins and have grown up with the benefits of enormous family gatherings, even though we're all scattered throughout the country. As they've contemplated their college and career choices, there's always someone in the extended family that they could call for networking or mentorship.

There are probably valid criticisms to make about the environmental impact of a large family. But it's been interesting to read these last few years about collapsing populations and what that means for supporting an aging population. My mom is getting the last laugh after enduring decades of snide, judgmental remarks.

Are you a boomer?

No, Gen X. And we didn't grow up in this area, so yes, it was probably more affordable. But it wasn't easy financially for my parents at all. My mom just wanted the same big family that she had had. I'm sure that they questioned their choice many times, because they had to sacrifice a lot. But in their older years, they have been surrounded by successful children and happy grandchildren, and a lot of love. Loneliness is a killer in American society, and it's not something that my family will ever have to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lot of responses on here from people that must be insanely insecure. Pretty sad. We’ve got 4. We do well but are hardly super rich. Yes one of us is SAM (and works insanely hard, 4 is a lot) and the other works really hard in a career they love, but is also incredibly present. It’s a choice we made. We’re not god-squad, and we don’t have help. And the thought that it’s a social flex is actually sickening. Get the F over yourselves.

The person who sounds most insecure here if you, actually.

Yeah no not really, but add yourself to the trash heap of the blissfully smug

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I come from a large family and even if financials aren't an issue, its not what its cracked up to be. I chose to have a smaller family of my own. You do you, don't follow the trends, specially ones set up by billionaires.

Same! No one ever asks the kids what they think of it. I grew up with 8 kids in my family. Most of the people in my neighborhood had a lot of kids. I think it is gross and selfish. You basically raise yourself.

[Anonymous]

I have many friends/boyfriends of (8) who are 1 of 5+ kids.

I'm an only child with the scary ability to date and make friends with people with extremely large families! It's pretty funny.

My observation is that my friends are well adjusted, have not repeated the pattern with 2 as the most kids any have, are extremely comfortable financially and healthy mentally but don't always have close ties with every single sibling. In most cases, there is always 1-2 in the family who are kind of screwed up.

I ended up actually marrying a guy with only 1 sibling but a huge extended family - dad had 4 siblings and each had 3 kids.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend in NYC with 4. They are loaded due to family wealth which helped them start their own successful businesses. Kids went to the best city privates. They have a home in the Hamptons. My friend is a life coach who is in fantastic shape. What burns me is she always says that being busy is no excuse for not being fit because look at her, she has 4 kids and has time to exercise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lot of responses on here from people that must be insanely insecure. Pretty sad. We’ve got 4. We do well but are hardly super rich. Yes one of us is SAM (and works insanely hard, 4 is a lot) and the other works really hard in a career they love, but is also incredibly present. It’s a choice we made. We’re not god-squad, and we don’t have help. And the thought that it’s a social flex is actually sickening. Get the F over yourselves.

Then you aren't what we are talking about.

+1. No flex at all.