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15 of the wildest things average folks have witnessed at uber-rich people events

It's a whole other world.

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People share the wildest things they've seen or heard at "rich people events."

So many of us love to binge the exotic, exorbitant lives of characters in shows like Succession, White Lotus, and The Gilded Age, but it’s another thing altogether to see it play out in real life.

Recently, average joes who have borne witness to people who simply have way too much money to burn (usually as their hired hands) shared some stories likely to leave you with equal parts awe and disgust. Stories of last minute jet setting for seasonal truffles, car accident “fall guys,” full-on backyard carnivals, and more.

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Jessica Walter in 'Arrested Development.' media4.giphy.com

Below are a few glimpses into just how the other half lives.

1. Truffles in Tokyo

“I was a server at a really nice restaurant and ended up working a dinner in our private room for the president of a major movie production studio's birthday…At one point in the dinner his assistant (one of three assistants sitting at the end of the long dinner table) informed him that the first truffles of the season had been delivered to some chef in Tokyo. So producer guy goes ‘Great! Anyone want to go to Tokyo this weekend for a truffle tasting?’ A couple of people said yes so he instructed the assistant to ‘make sure one of the jets is available’ for the trip. They stayed 3 hours after we closed. Bought every bottle of the same brand of wine we had in our cellar ‘for the road,’ let me taste a 1989 Chateau Haut-Brion and tipped $3600 for the lateness of their departure. Wild night.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Andrew Skarsgard in 'Succession.' media1.giphy.com

2. Hired Fall Guy for Car Accidents

“My friend had a friend who is one of those ‘Crazy Rich Asian’ type of dudes…One day, this rich dude was driving his Ferrari on the toll road. My friend was in another car following him for a car meetup event. This dude crashed his Ferrari into another car, and then stopped on the side of the road…[and] called someone. In 10 minutes there was a yellow Lamborghini. The Lambo driver went out, took the Ferrari key from the rich dude's hands, and then sat inside the crashed Ferrari. The rich dude drove the Lambo and continued the journey. Apparently the new driver will take the fall for every single crash related problem. Oh yeah, the police were there the whole time, and they didn’t bother to talk or approach the rich dude before the lambo driver came up.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Ryan Gosling in 'The Fall Guy' media0.giphy.com

3. A Yacht…Just In Case

“I once had super wealthy bosses and they were talking about their friend who owned several buildings. And who had a big yacht [that] always ready to go [with] a full complement of personnel, paid full time… It was basically a hotel at sea. The thing is, the guy rarely used it. So you had a boatload of bored people who had nothing much to do. If the guy goes to Europe, he would rather fly there -- and have the yacht head there ahead, just in case he felt like using it. Which wasn't all the time.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Leonardo DiCaprio in 'Wolf of Wall Street' media2.giphy.com

4. Two African Safaris, Please

“When we were poor our daughter went to a private preschool that was great for her disability and they accepted us at hardly any tuition in exchange for speaking at fundraising events for them on our daughters benefit from being at the school. At their big fancy yearly ball dinner we were speakers and they sat us at a donor table. We were literally stealing dinner rolls to make our Carl Buddig sandwich meat better. At the auction portion one of the ladies explained that last year she bid on and won the African safari but she didn’t have anyone to go with her so she donated it back to this years event. As that vacation came up for bid she goes ‘wait my niece loves animals and travel, I’ll take her’ and she went and bought it for he second year in a row.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Goldie Hawn in 'The First Wives Club' media3.giphy.com

5. 20K Rehearsal Dinner

“I worked a private event as a waiter, it was a rehearsal dinner. The father of the bride was telling everyone he chartered a private jet for his daughter and son in law to fly to Bali for their 6 week honeymoon, which he has also paid for. The jet was to stay there for their use for the duration of the trip in case they wanted to visit other places if they got bored. The rehearsal dinner for 20 people was about 20k.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Martin Short in 'Father of the Bride.' media3.giphy.com

6. Secret Service Wedding

“It was a ritzy wedding and someone there was a congressman. So we had secret service throughout the wedding pretending like they were guests while also not engaging with anyone to be distracted. They were like real life NPCs.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Hopefully they were paid well. media3.giphy.com

7. Losing 10K Like It's Nothing

“I was in the Peace Corps in Zambia. We used to hang out at the casino in Lusaka cause they gave you free food, drinks, and cigarettes while you played. We would play like $2 hands of blackjack just to get fed. But I went to the roulette table and some guy put down $10,000 in USD all over the table. Lost his spin, and just shrugged his shoulders and walked away…I was floored by the amount of wealth that existed right around us.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money I can't imagine even betting with $10. media3.giphy.com

8. A Family's Worth of Ferraris

“My buddy took me on a cruise with our local Ferrari club. The house we went to was owned by a member who had 8 Ferrari's in his garage… While we were there he unveiled his new car, a custom built Daytona SP3 that was all completely custom. The base price of the car is around $2.2 million so with the customizations it was closer to $3 million the way he had it. The crazy part was the story he told about it. This was supposed to be an early build number car but it was delayed. He had to ask Ferrari about why his $3 million dollar car was taking so long while he was putting in another order for a different completely custom Ferrari that is probably worth even more than that. Spending more money on 2 cars than I'll probably make in my whole life was a pretty wild story to hear while in a garage with cars that collectively are worth more than my family has made all together for a couple of generations. Really puts the wealth gap into perspective.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money You can never have too many Ferraris… media4.giphy.com

9. Friends in High Places

“The CEO of my company came down to visit our office and took all the managers out to lunch. He asked for an update on projects going on, and one person mentioned having been stuck in limbo because of the state agency not getting us the approval. He asked if anyone had tried calling the governor. After he looked around and saw a table full of blank stares, he pulled his phone out and did just that. Apparently the governor is a buddy, and the situation was resolved the next day.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money A still from 'Home Economics.' media1.giphy.com

10. Night At The Museum

“I was invited to a corporate party in NYC. The party was at the Museum of Modern Art. They rented the museum for the evening. There was a caviar table you could go to and get as much caviar as you wanted. I was told that the caviar cost $5,000."

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Doesn't sound like a bad night, honestly. media1.giphy.com

11. 24/7 Butler

“I was hired to be a photographer at a wedding. They had rented the venue at a very expensive vineyard. There was a mansion there and as part of the deal the bridal party got to stay at the mansion. The owner is almost never actually there. He lives in a big White House, if you know what I mean. I show up early the morning of the wedding and I’m greeted by the butler…He said it’s shift work, that there are basically three of them…and it’s 8 hour shifts. So I [asked] ‘if I showed up at 2am in January one of you would be here, all alone in the mansion, just knocking around on the odd chance the big guy shows up?’ And he was like ‘yeah, someone’s always here.’ That just kinda blew my mind. Can you imagine just being the dude who sits alone in someone else’s mansion polishing the silver waiting to see if they show up?”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money You never know when someone might visit your mansion. media1.giphy.com

12. Throwing Away Perfectly Good Fillet

“Not at an event, but at my then 9yr old son's friend's house. They were VERY wealthy, and it was the Dads birthday dinner. They were having fillet steak, seafood etc. Their two sons were disgusted that hey were having fillet steak-AGAIN. And one threw his away, and the other huffed off to his room and demanded his Dad (whos birthday it was) take him to get a pizza. Dad actually DID! And my macaroni eating kid sat there scarfing his steak and witnessing the majesty of life.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Who throws away fillet? media0.giphy.com

13. Racing Porsches

“I attended a rich person dinner in Bel Air… I began to make small talk with the guy seated next to me. We started talking about traveling, and he said his friend recently ‘raced with the Porsches in Germany.’ I looked at him, and said ‘oh, you mean he raced Porsches in Germany, that's great.’ He looked at me confused and said ’"no, he raced with the Porsche family’ and rattled off a couple names of the Porsche heirs that apparently they were friendly with.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Barry Keoghan in 'Saltburn.' media1.giphy.com

14. Owning Politicians

“I was at a political fundraising dinner around 20 years ago. There were many affluent rich people there but only one billionaire. At one point I naively asked him why he didn’t run for office. He laughed and looked me directly in they eyes and said, ‘son, why would I be a politician when I can own one?’”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money Paul Giamatti in 'Billions.' media4.giphy.com

15. Backyard Carnival…For a 4-Year-Old

“My dad cooked a small dinner at a very privately wealthy family's house, in which Dick Cheney was a guest and they flew in Elton John to play piano for the night. That same family put on a birthday party for their 4 year old granddaughter, who wanted “a carnival” for her birthday, so they invited all of the country club staff's families to ‘make the place look alive.’ Free carnival rides and food all day and night. In their backyard.”

white lotus, gilded age, succession, rich people wealth, reddit, ask reddit, tax the rich, money An image of a carnival media2.giphy.com

Of course, what also makes many of our beloved rich-centric shows so watchable is the fact that these characters, even with their excessive wealth, cannot escape grief, loss, or retribution for their wrongdoings. I'm not to say that any of the wealthy folks from these stories should face comeuppance simply for having what many others want, but it’s no secret that the working class sees this stark contrast more and more each day, and will not stop calling for more equality in one way or another.

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"Time affluence" can radically change how you view your daily life

Not enough hours in the day? This might be for you.

Photo credit: Canva

A powerful new way to take control of your day.

What does it really mean to be wealthy? Having a hefty bank account and multiple streams of income? A fancy job with an even fancier-sounding name? ("Director" has a nice ring to it, don't you think?) There are a million ways to answer this question, but before you do, ask yourself one more: Will that really make me happy? While many of us would love a few more hours in the day, our actions don't reflect that. Often, we as a society spend an inordinate time dedicated to money: making it and saving it. But what about leisure time or rest? Yes, money is important, but without the time to do things we actually enjoy, what’s the point?

A growing body of research suggests something revolutionary: that a concept called “time affluence” is the true measure of a person's wealth. Rather than nice cars or a corner office in a high-rise building downtown, time affluence is the real key to happiness and well-being. Time affluence refers to the idea that, like money, time is a resource that can be saved, spent, and wasted. According to Ashley V. Whillans, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and the author of Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your Time and Live a Happier Life, time affluence is the “feeling of having control and feeling like you have enough time on an everyday basis.” Her research indicates that those who value time over money tend to live happier, more civically engaged lives and are more inclined to pursue activities they’re passionate about.

So, why do so many of us feel like we’re running out of time?


Meet “time poverty”

Time affluence exists on a spectrum, with "time poverty" at the opposite end. While time-affluent people experience increased autonomy, improved moods, and enhanced states of mindfulness, those experiencing time poverty live in a world of constant stress. They remain fixated on work and productivity, feeling perpetually overwhelmed by an endless list of tasks with seemingly insufficient time to complete them. Research shows that time poverty leads to decreased well-being, poor physical health, and reduced productivity—yet why aren't we addressing this crisis? While billions are invested yearly to combat material poverty, while time poverty remains largely ignored and continues to worsen.


stress, frustration, unhappiness, time, time waster, busy, stressedWhy aren't we addressing this growing crisis?Photo credit: Canva

Our relationship with time reveals a troubling reality. Despite the rise of time-saving technologies in recent decades—from Internet to personal computers—these innovations and productivity tools haven't fundamentally changed how we use our time, nor have they increased our sense of time affluence. A 2010 study found that merely 9% of adults reported "quite often" having free time, while 45% claimed they were almost "never free."

Even Whillans recognized something was wrong when she, a successful Harvard Business School professor on the tenure track, felt chronically short on time. Despite her material wealth—the pay, prestige, and job security—she never allowed herself to rest. Her calendar was filled with meetings, but she left herself no space for leisure or personal pursuits. "Focusing our time is not selfish. It's really about making enough time for ourselves that we're able to have the energy and attention to best serve those that we care about," Whillans explained during a presentation in 2020. "We want to be reframing our time to see leisure as something that's productive and restful, and an end to itself."


The elusive concept of “time affluence”

Here's the paradox: having more money or time doesn't necessarily solve the problem—it can actually make it worse. In a study by Sanford E. DeVoe and Jeffrey Pfeffer in 2011, researchers found that people who placed a higher financial value on time (following the old adage "time is money") reported increased time pressure and showed less patience. Similarly, other research indicates that when people overly focus on time's value, they also experience greater psychological and physiological stress, and are less likely to slow down or enjoy leisure activities.


time, running out of time, clock, busy, life, stressWhen it comes to well-being, time does not equal money. Photo credit: Canva

But...too much time can be a problem, too. In a study conducted by Cassie Mogilner Holmes, a psychologist and professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, she looked at the relationship between leisure time and happiness. On one hand, she found that people with less than two hours a day of free time reported decreased levels of happiness. On the other hand, those with more than five hours of free time per day also reported decreased levels of happiness. What’s going on here? It seems that the key to time affluence, which Holmes defines as “feeling confident that you are able to accomplish everything you want to do"—isn’t the abundance of free time or having unlimited hours in the day. “While having some time (i.e. more than two hours) is essential, the positive correlation between time and satisfaction only goes so far,” writes Barnaby Lashbrooke for Forbes. “Being time affluent, then, is less about having an excess of time, and actually about how you use the limited time that you do have.”


How to become time-affluent

So, you want to become time-affluent? Experts suggest the following strategies:

  1. Prioritize ruthlessly. With limited hours in each day, it makes sense to tackle the most important tasks first. Some people follow the Ivy Lee Method, which involves writing down your five most important tasks each evening, then completing them one by one the next day. Others prefer the "1-3-5" rule—focusing on one big task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks daily. Whichever method you choose, always ask yourself: What's the most urgent and important task? Start there.
  2. Buy back time by outsourcing tasks. While money can't buy happiness directly, it can buy precious time through strategic outsourcing. A few well-spent dollars can free you from tasks you dislike or find draining. Consider hiring a house cleaner or paying more in rent to live closer to work. As Laurie Santos, a psychologist and happiness researcher, says, "Studies show that people who spend money to get more free time are often happier than those who don't." But remember—outsourcing doesn't always require money. You can lean on your community, such as arranging alternating school drop-off schedules with neighbors.
  3. Practice “monotasking.” By now, most people know that multitasking isn’t real. It’s a myth—the human mind and brain aren’t sophisticated enough to perform more than two tasks simultaneously. So, do the opposite. Focus on one thing at a time.
  4. Be intentional about leisure time. “We want to be reframing our time to see leisure as something that’s productive and restful, and an end to itself,” advises Whillans. “Focusing on time is not selfish. It’s really in making enough time for ourselves that we’re able to have the energy and attention to best serve those that we care about.” Just like an important meeting or appointment, block time off on your calendar to dedicate purely to leisure and rest. By doing so, you are committing to caring about your well-being, and it’s just as essential as work.

In a world that's always demanding “more” of us—earn more, buy more, do more—perhaps what’s most revolutionary is reclaiming our time. And with it, our happiness.

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Soccer star Sadio Mané beautifully explains his approach to sharing his exceptional wealth

"Why would I want ten Ferraris, 20 diamond watches, or two planes? What will these objects do for me and for the world?"

Dan Sutich/Facebook, Soccer Stories – Oh My Goal/YouTube

Sadio Mané

I don't follow international football (soccer, for us Americans), but a viral Facebook post prompted me to look up pro soccer player Sadio Mané. I'm so glad I did.

In 2020, the then 28-year-old from Senegal played for Liverpool and was widely known as one of the nicest guys in the game. He often helped offload items off the team's bus, treated unsuspecting fans and ballboys with gifts, and even helped scrub toilets at a local mosque after a big game.

He was also known for donating much of his $14 million a year salary as a professional footballer, especially toward helping his home village in Senegal.

The viral post that caught my eye showed Mané carrying a cracked iPhone and included a quote from him explaining his approach to wealth. (The quote was not in response to being asked about the cracked iPhone, but it makes a nice visual).

In a 2019 interview Ghanian newspaper Nsemwoha, Mané said:

"Why would I want ten Ferraris, 20 diamond watches, or two planes? What will these objects do for me and for the world? I was hungry, and I had to work in the field; I survived hard times, played football barefooted, I did not have an education and many other things, but today with what I earn thanks to football, I can help my people. I built schools, a stadium, we provide clothes, shoes, food for people who are in extreme poverty. In addition, I give 70 euros per month to all people in a very poor region of Senegal which contributes to their family economy. I do not need to display luxury cars, luxury homes, trips and even planes. I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me"

He's sincere about that. Mané paid for a hospital to be built as well—a project he funded because his father died when Mané was a child because there was no hospital in their village. In the summer of 2019, he also returned to Senegal on vacation to check up on a school he is building in his home village of Bambali.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Mané's attitude toward his wealth and his choice to spend his money to help others are so refreshing. People are free to do what they want with their money, of course, and it's not like Mané never splurges. But he tries to stay humble. In a world with such extremes of poverty and wealth, seeing someone attempt to balance the scales voluntarily does a heart good. Imagine a society where every millionaire or billionaire were as detached from material things and as generous with what they have as Sadio Mané. While individuals aren't responsible for public welfare, imagine the wide range of good they could do nonetheless.

Nearly five years later, Mané's philosophy of sharing his wealth hasn't changed. Now 32, Mané left Liverpool in 2022 to play for Munich, and as of 2024, Mané now plays In Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr. He was considered one of the world's highest-paid soccer players in 2024 by Forbes, and according to a July 2024 Business Insider profile, Mané continues to give back to his Senegalese community by funding Universal Basic Income in a region affected by extreme poverty.

Thank you, Sadio Mané, for continuing to be such an excellent role model!


This story originally appeared five years ago.

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Shaquille O'Neal quietly paid for a random guy's engagement ring while standing in line

"I'm just trying to make people smile... That's all."

NBA on TNT/Twitter

An unsuspecting guy at a shopping mall Zales got the surprise of his life back in 2021 while trying to pay off part of his engagement ring.

As the young man talked with the clerk at the jewelry store counter about how much he still owed for his ring and when he'd be able to pay it off, an extraordinarily large hand handed the clerk a credit card. Shaquille O'Neal, the 7' 1'' basketball legend known colloquially as "Shaq," overheard their conversation and decided to take care of the bill himself. No big announcement. No fanfare. He just handed over his credit card, shook the stunned customer's hand and patted him on the back, and that was that.

Someone caught the moment on video and shared it, which prompted Shaq's co-hosts on NBA on TNT to ask him about it the next day.

One of the first questions was, "You went to the mall, and went to Zales?!?" Not exactly where one would expect a person with a $400 million net worth to be hanging out on a Monday, but Shaq pointed out that he has a jewelry line at Zales. He went in to get some hoop earrings. Alrighty.

The young man at the checkout counter was so shy, Shaq said, and when he heard him talking about paying for his engagement ring, Shaq asked him how much it was and offered to pay for it.

At first, the guy refused, but Shaq insisted. And apparently, he does these random acts of generosity all the time.

He said he was recently in a furniture store (seriously, do multi-millionaires not shop online?) and saw a mom with an autistic daughter buying furniture. He just took care of their bill, just because.

"I'm into making people happy," he said. "I didn't mean for that to get out because I don't do it for that...I'm just trying to make people smile, that's all."

Shaq's generosity is well-documented, despite his preference to keep much of it under wraps. In a 2015 interview with Graham Bessinger, he explained how his father's charity—despite their family not having a lot of money—influenced him.

After giving the family's bag of hamburgers to a homeless veteran, his father got into the family car and told him, "If you ever make it big time, make sure you help those in need."

Shaq remembered those words and engages in charity in a range of ways, "because of what a man who made $30,000 a year taught me," he said. "And a woman who was a secretary who probably made $20,000 a year—they taught me that."

His giving comes "from the heart," he said. He's not looking for attention or accolades—he just wants to make people happy.

"I'm doing this because this is what I was taught," he said. "I'm doing it because to walk in there and see a family, put a smile on their face for a day, that's just awesome to me."

Shaq on helping others when no one is lookingwww.youtube.com

"That's my thing. I just want to make you smile," he said.

Shaq once asked a restaurant server how much of a tip she wanted, and when she quipped "$4,000," he gave it to her. When a 12-year-old was paralyzed by a stray bullet in a shooting, Shaq donated a whole house to his family. A fan who saw Shaq in a Best Buy offered condolences to the star for the untimely death of Shaq's friend and former teammate Kobe Bryant, as well as Shaq's sister Ayesha, who had recently passed away from cancer. He was treated to a new laptop—the best one in the store.

Many of us like to daydream about what we'd do if we had more money than we know what to do with. And many of us like to picture ourselves being generous with our wealth, helping out random folks who could use some help.

Charitable giving looks like a lot of different things, from funding organizations to distributing money through a foundation to handing over a bag of burgers to someone who's hungry. It's just delightful to see wealthy people who not only support official charitable organizations with money and time (Shaq serves as a national spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and is a member of the national Board of Directors for Communities in Schools in addition to raising and donating millions of dollars to various causes) but who also just help out random people everywhere they go.

Kudos to Shaq's parents for teaching him so well, and kudos to him for taking their lessons to heart.


This article originally appeared four years ago.

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