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

[Anonymous]

If somebody asks you a direct question, do you avoid the answer or do you lie or tell the truth?
If you do something other than tell the complete truth, why?

Not too many people ask me, but in the past, I try to avoid the question. I recall exaggerating my debts too. For example, how do you own 3 rental properties already? My response is something like "Well the bank actually owns them". It is partly true although they are mostly paid off.

[Anonymous]

Miss Manners would recommend something like: "Why do you ask?"

[Anonymous]

No reason to flaunt it.

I am often silent when coworkers complain about raking leaves, cleaning the house or hate on McMansion owners. I just play along and let them vent.

[Anonymous]

What a coincidence! Another OP asked basically the same question in a different way.

[Anonymous]

What do you mean by "rich"?

[Anonymous]

Personally I would never rent out any of my properties to hoi polloi, but I imagine it makes sense if one needs the money. Fortunately my funds have never reached such a desperate state.
Wishing you the best of luck for your fortunes to improve!

[Anonymous]

I'm not rich now, but I grew up in a family that had a lot of money compared to most of my friends. I definitely downplayed some things - our yacht club, for example. I got my own membership in my twenties (legacy, no initiation fee so relatively cheap) and would refer to it in conversation as "the beach," like: "What are you doing on Saturday? "oh, I think I'm going to go to the beach with my family," deliberately letting people think I meant Jones Beach or another public beach. also, if I had to refer to it specifically I would call it a beach club instead of a yacht club because it sounds less pretentious (and there is a small beach there so it's not entirely a lie).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personally I would never rent out any of my properties to hoi polloi, but I imagine it makes sense if one needs the money. Fortunately my funds have never reached such a desperate state.
Wishing you the best of luck for your fortunes to improve!

Agreed. It's such a bummer to arrive at my home in the Hamptons, Aspen, Lake Tahoe or La Jolla and find that the staff haven't cleaned out the renters' abandoned underwear.

[Anonymous]

Poor people irritate me so I try to avoid them.

[Anonymous]

Here is another example. I mostly grew up in McLean. But I've lived in other areas too, so sometimes I'll say that I lived in Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is another example. I mostly grew up in McLean. But I've lived in other areas too, so sometimes I'll say that I lived in Fairfax.

Hahahahahha that's fcking hilarious. Really?

[Anonymous]

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"

[Anonymous]

I'm not rich, but I definitely downplay what I have

[Anonymous]

OP,

It's rude for someone to ask this question, so they don't deserve an answer just b/c they are nosy. You don't have to exaggerate being poor either.

I'd go with 19:48's response.

[Anonymous]

I usually duck the topics, first politely, then overtly.

If asked how much I make I say I am extremely fortunate. If someone asks how many properties I own I say a lot. If someone asks how big my house is I say that it is very large.

People know that we are well off, but I don't think they comprehend how well off.