Disclaimer: I want to clarify that I am not a person of wealth or affluence. The information presented here is a result of my research and interviews I’ve conducted. Defining wealth can be subjective, and for this post, I consider someone rich if they have 1000 Crore ($150 Million). So if you’re that rich and want to be featured in an interview for this post, contact us.
Understanding Wealth: Being rich and being wealthy are distinct concepts influenced by time and money. True wealth is a combination of having ample time and financial resources. If one possesses both, they can be considered truly wealthy. Merely having money without time may indicate hard work to sustain the current lifestyle. The distinction between lower, middle, or upper-middle class often lies in the possessions, but the fundamental routine is similar.
Insights from Interviews: To add depth to this discussion, I’ve interviewed 12 individuals, including children of affluent families and first-time entrepreneurs. Let’s delve into the anecdotes and analyze the perspectives of two interviewees, Mr. A, and Mr. B. I will add more insights from other interviewees later.
Mr. A
I was born into a family which started from Dharavi. They already had another kid, my older brother. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and my parents couldn’t afford my medical bills when I was born.
Now, we are in the 1%, and we do not live like we are.
We live in a five-bedroom house in a kinda rich suburb right outside of Mumbai. My parents both drive Honda CR-V’s and my brother drives a Honda Civic. I drive a Honda myself. My dad’s car is literally from 2003, but my parents are buying a Honda passport in a few days, I guess. So he will be donating the old CR-V to a charity.
Our house isn’t spectacular. My boyfriend’s parents make a lot less than my parents and they live in a 20+ crore house and drive 2 Mercedes and a BMW. My family isn’t like that.
We have the luxury of really being able to buy what we want when we want. My mom’s iPad broke, so that day she bought a new one. I asked my parents if I was getting a car once I got my license, they said yes and we went to buy a car. But, we do not spend extravagant amounts of money. If you were to see my house and our cars, you would think we live off of a five-figure salary.
My mom has been in business magazines and on the news. Over a decade ago, when she was an auditor, she singlehandedly caught the CFO and two other employees at her company embezzling. They embezzled millions of dollars.
I get to travel quite a lot. I’ve been to about 15 different countries. But we don’t fly first class to get there, and we do not stay at 5-star hotels. Those are a waste of money.
I don’t get everything I ask for, which is something a lot of people expect kids of the 1% get. My parents do give me money for groceries, as I live on campus at a university, but that’s maybe like 15k a month, which is more than enough, of course. I make my own spending money by being a social media marketer for a big company.
I don’t wear designer clothes, no one in my family does. My mom would love an LV purse, but she says it isn’t worth the money. I do love Tommy Hilfiger, but I buy all of that stuff at Lifestyle!
I’m the child of 1% parents but I don’t live the 1% life. Most kids of 1% of parents don’t. My best friend’s parents sold their company for 800 crore and she drives a 2001 Toyota Corolla! Not everyone in the 1% lives super luxurious lives, some of us drive a 2003 Honda to our executive job, like my dad! Where his employees drive better cars than he does 🙂
Mr. B
The one thing I’ve realized is that being rich pretty much amplifies who you already are. As someone who was raised not even close to being rich, and has had a lifelong (irrational) fear of falling into abject poverty, I find that my newly wealthy life is pretty much like it used to be, with some slightly nicer stuff, but by and large most of my efforts are put into protecting and amplifying my wealth and securing that position through rain or shine, for me and my future family.
Conclusion
In essence, these narratives highlight that wealth does not universally translate into opulent lifestyles. Individuals navigate their financial status with unique priorities, values, and perspectives. Wealth, for some, serves as a tool for practical choices and ethical considerations rather than an avenue for lavish indulgence.