The display of wealth is such a common phenomenon that even the poor pretend to be rich. But there are some people who might not necessarily flaunt their wealth in an obvious way. Here are 18 subtle signs that someone may be richer than they seem to be.
They’re Well-Connected in Business
There are relationships that money cannot buy. A wealthy person understands how important collaboration is in gaining and maintaining wealth and, hence, always has connections to the right companies and services. You may bribe your way up, but a wealthy person nurtures it to have a firm place at the top.
They Have a Minimalist but Expensive Fashion Sense
For someone who doesn’t like to show off, less is more. Some wealthy people choose to be discreet with the luxury brands they wear, spending hundreds of dollars on a plain shirt or thousands of dollars on a bare bracelet.
They Wear Unknown Luxury Fashion Brands
For some other people, wealth isn’t in the expensive plain shirts they wear. Instead, you see it in the types of brands they opt for. Everyone knows Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, and Gucci are expensive. But you may see them wearing pieces from Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, Baerbour, and The Row.
They Have Bad Grades but Also Have Ivy League Admission
CBS shares how the children of the top 1% of Americans gain admission to the Ivy League “plus” schools at twice the rate as any other income group. When you consider that Ivy League schools don’t have cut-off GPAs for admission, it’s easy to understand why someone with bad grades got to attend some of the best universities in the world.
Financial Literacy
When you hear someone speak about financial concepts that work but you haven’t even heard of, then it might be someone with financial success. For instance, this person may understand how shell companies help with taxes or some obscure ways to utilize debt for business.
They Drive Unknown Luxury Cars
Everyone talks about the Porsche 911s and Rolls-Royce Phantom, and it’s easy to gauge wealth with these. But your low-key friend may decide to ride in a Bergmeister or a Pagani that’s more subtle in design and comes for an even higher price.
They Have An Old-Money Family Name
Subtleness is an innate quality of traditional old money. Forbes shares that “those born into wealth tend to have a lower need to express their social status. Their focus is to use subtle signals that can only be decoded by other individuals who share a similar social background.” If you suspect someone’s quietly rich and know he or she is from a “Roosevelt” or “Astor” family, you may just have your answer.
They Have a Family Crest
Okay, maybe this person doesn’t have the most common old money name. One thing that’ll confirm your suspicions—especially of old-money royalty—is if he or she wears a family crest. Family signet rings are common, traditional ways to display family affluence that have remained in modern fashion.
They Have a Small Social Circle
In the spirit of maintaining quality relationships, the rich also prefer to have a small, rich social circle. As Business Insider shared after studying 177 millionaires, “the self-made rich made an intentional, conscious effort to only forge relationships with individuals they aspired to be: other rich and successful people.” It’s always quality over quantity for them.
They Have Strategic Real Estate Investments
The rich almost always have a stake in real estate property somewhere in the world. While you know that anyone who owns a home in Hanalei or Washington is definitely packed, a more subtle sign is if this person owns houses in Hong Kong or Singapore.
They Work For the Fun of It
For most people, waking up every Monday morning to go to the office or promote a business is a must if they want the bills paid. A wealthy person, on the other hand, may just be doing it out of boredom. If you have a friend who earns $40,000 a year but takes vacations in Bora Bora or the Bahamas every other weekend, you have the rich in your circle.
They Talk About Rich Life Experiences
Wealth may not be shown in their clothes or cars, but instead in the quality of experiences they’ve lived through. For instance, experiences like being a member of a $30,000 golf club or his family being involved in rare $100,000 horse collections tell you what you need to know.
They Have Rich Hobbies’
Maybe reading books or playing video games doesn’t catch his or her fancy. Instead, this person finds joy in privately collecting expensive wines, parachuting, playing polo, or traveling to exclusive locations. They engage in activities that allow them to narrate rich life experiences.
They Eat Saffron and Caviar
If you randomly hear someone say that they have a taste for foods like white caviar, wagyu beef, or saffron, then you’re dealing with someone with money to spare. The Economic Times shares that these foods, alongside Iberian ham, moose cheese, and Madagascar vanilla, are some of the costliest in the world—only fit for rich pockets.
They Stay Off Money Conversations
One reason a wealthy person may choose to be subtle is to avoid drawing attention to himself or herself. This is why, during money conversations, you may have someone who always remains quiet, never seems to complain about the increasing cost of living, says he’s “comfortable,” or tries to deflect the conversation to another topic.
They Have a Black Credit Card
While you use one of the Amex Blue Cash cards or a Visa Signature credit card, you notice your friend uses a black card for transactions. You feed into your curiosity and learn she’s using an Amex Centurion card, a Visa Infinite card, or a Mastercard Black card. Well, these are exclusive cards only the ultra-rich use, and your pal is most likely one of them.
They Don’t Watch Prices
Many of us go into clothing shops or grocery stores with a budget in mind and always watch what we buy so we don’t exceed it. Your rich friend, on the other hand, probably picks up the more expensive version of things or orders whatever he likes in an exotic restaurant. Of course, he pays for these without fuss. He or she also never takes deals on products.
They Go On Vacations Without Luggage
It’s one thing to have spare change for vacations, and it’s another to go for vacations without any luggage. This only has one meaning—there’s going to be a shopping spree upon landing. When you have someone who only travels like this, you know just how rich the person is.
More From Planning To Organize
18 Common Behaviors That Will Make People Lose Respect for You