If you are rich, do you ever lie about it or downplay it?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I try to downplay it. For example, I grew up in Chevy Chase, but if someone asks me, I just say Maryland. Usually people don't ask such direct questions, and I can give an answer that wouldn't give away my SES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What sort of awful people do you folks hang around with who would even come close to asking such questions in the first place? Get better friends.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lie about it all the time. My DH makes an obscene amount of money. I try to avoid questions about it, but I definitely downplay things.

This worked for me until we bought a vacation house.

Worked for us until our neighbor's company rented space in the office building we own. We call our vacation home "the cabin" - we don't mention how many bedrooms it has, or that it has it's own pool and tennis court. We are very low key in our neighborhood, and drive Fords.

[Anonymous]

poeple have no idea what we have, we lived in an older home that wasn;t renovated, we do our own yard work, cleaning, repairs etc. When we go away we say we are going on a long weekend.

meanwhile we own several buildings in other areas that are leased and rented both residential and commercial. Not a single friend knows that we sit in several million dollars of real estate like north of 50

[Anonymous]

I think all of you posting need a better class of aquaintances. The questions (and many of the responses) are rather distasteful. Trying too hard to appear to be 'one of them' likely has the opposite effect.

I can't imagine asking my friends and neighbors their net worth, nor having them ask me mine. Nobody has ever asked us if we own a vacation home, either, in spite of the fact that we travel to the same location in Europe every year for the same holiday.

[Anonymous]

We have a few millions, two houses, and no debt. We live and dress the ways we are. Some of our friends and neighbors think we are poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lie about it all the time. My DH makes an obscene amount of money. I try to avoid questions about it, but I definitely downplay things.

Please indulge us with obscenities… its a anon forum. How much is obscene?
FWIW I make a pedestrian amount of money.

3.5M last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are in our late twenties and make almost $300k combined. We live in a two bedroom apartment, have no furniture, drive used Hyundais, and don't take vacations - we work all the time. Working makes us happy. The few friends we have would probably shit bricks if we knew how much money we were sitting on.

"Hiding" our income is probably easier due to our ages. (We don't think of it as hiding - we are just not spenders.) At some point, I guess we will probably stretch out legs a bit financially.

You're associates in medium to large law firms. Your friends likely know precisely how much you make, and save. And your life sounds kinda pathetic. No one's suggesting you go stock up on Aston Martins or fill your bathtub with Cristal, but "working makes us happy?" That's just sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is that hilarious? I did live in Fairfax. If I say McLean, people may think "Oh, so you are one of those kinds of people"

It's hilarious that your image of McLean is the place where the super rich live (or at least, people rich enough to that they need to lie about their upbringing). It's not Central Park West, for God's sake. It's an affluent suburb, but that's it - not even the most affluent area in the metro area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lie about it all the time. My DH makes an obscene amount of money. I try to avoid questions about it, but I definitely downplay things.

Please indulge us with obscenities… its a anon forum. How much is obscene?
FWIW I make a pedestrian amount of money.

3.5M last year.

I am fascinated. I make just over 10% of your husband's salary, and while we're not rich rich, we're certainly well off. (Please save the "you are so rich, you entitled twat" screams for another thread.) But I have wondered how I would react if my income suddenly increased to that level. (It's not likely, but it's a remote possibility.) I think I would work for 3-5 more years, living like we do now (which is pretty damn good) and then I'd be done. Has your husband had any thoughts like that?

[Anonymous]

I never lie about it because I don't talk about it. If someone asks me about my financial status, I say that we live comfortably and leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

Most people looking at my kids and I would probably think we're on the lower income level. The way I dress, the way I act. I wouldn't say we're super rich but have a lot more then it appears. DH and I are both savers.

[Anonymous]

Always better to downplay than over exaggerate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lie about it all the time. My DH makes an obscene amount of money. I try to avoid questions about it, but I definitely downplay things.

Please indulge us with obscenities… its a anon forum. How much is obscene?
FWIW I make a pedestrian amount of money.

3.5M last year.

I am fascinated. I make just over 10% of your husband's salary, and while we're not rich rich, we're certainly well off. (Please save the "you are so rich, you entitled twat" screams for another thread.) But I have wondered how I would react if my income suddenly increased to that level. (It's not likely, but it's a remote possibility.) I think I would work for 3-5 more years, living like we do now (which is pretty damn good) and then I'd be done. Has your husband had any thoughts like that?

I am in the midst of a separation. DH really, really likes the money and the power/prestige that comes with it. I am more grounded so to speak. I would have given it all up to have a husband who was home more and a better father. The more money he made, the more entitled he became. He was not a moral person (although he truly believes that he is). To be honest, my life-style didn't change all that much from when he made less money. We had a bigger, nicer home and stayed at nicer hotels when we travelled. I still couldn't bring myself to buy Gucci or LV purses. DH grew up with a chip on his shoulder about being poor. Making big money was very important to him. He was generous with it (family/charities), but the more he made -- the more his priorities became warped. He'll never make enough to feel happy.

[Anonymous]

People who are saying who are your rude friends are thinking of very direct questions about your salary or wealth. There are many subtle ways of asking and conversations often hint at wealth. For example, if you start talking about vacations with someone, it will come up that you go skiing in your Aspen vacation home. Or that you are going to the Ritz in Bora Bora, etc. Or you could lie about those things or downplay them.

People are confused about why a rich person would lie. Here is the painful truth. If you think someone is rich, you expect them to pay for you almost all the time. For example, you have dinner with Bill Gates or Michael Jordan. Do you expect to pay 50/50? Many people expect them to pick up the entire bill. Every time! While a rich person can easily pay the bill, they don't like being taken advantage of.