‘Piles of Crap All Over’: Redditors Reveal What It’s Like To Work for the ‘Super Wealthy’

Whether we look on with envy or disgust, Americans love to gawk at the ultra-rich. Just think of HBO’s “White Lotus,” “Succession,” or even “The Idol.” All three shows give us a glimpse into the glitzy lives of the 1%: picturesque resorts, extravagant yachts, and grandiose mansions — plus a healthy dose of dysfunction and entitlement. 

But do the moneyed really live like royalty? Redditors who have worked for “the super wealthy” recently shared their experiences in a 10,000-plus comment thread, and it turns out that, yes, rich people are as powerful and obnoxious as they are on TV.

You’d think 46 acres of land, three pools, two clay tennis courts, two guest houses, and a massive private lake would be enough. But then your niece has a wedding, and you absolutely have to have a willow tree for photos! So, naturally, you spend $350,000 to have one shipped and planted next to the lake, only to pay another $50,000 (chump change, no?) to have it removed once the festivities are over. That’s what one family did, according to a groundskeeper.

When a wealthy person doesn’t get what they want, what do they do? One Redditor who works “for the wives of wealthy professionals” explains that they’re more confused than angry. “They are so unaccustomed to not being given exactly what they want that it's as if they don't understand what is happening when they are told they can't have something,” the commenter writes.

Imagine a rich person. You probably see someone well-kempt, stylish, and attractive. And, according to a Redditor who worked at a private golf club, that’s largely true. But once you step behind closed doors, you find out that they’re like animals, the commenter says of one family. We’re talking: “Dishes piled with dried food that smelled, dirty clothes thrown everywhere, piles of crap all over, sticky floors, dog poop left on the floor.” The Redditor adds that their home was a “disaster filth zone” because being “sanitary” was beneath them. They needed a housekeeper for that.

While working late, a Redditor gets a call. It’s the CEO’s son, “clearly drunk,” asking if someone can drive an hour to his house and fix his internet. The Redditor obliges and finds a smashed entry gate, a decimated fence, and a Jaguar stuck in a field. Inside, the scene isn’t much better. The boss's son is “completely blasted” and has a “huge cut on his hairline.” After helping the man clean up and fixing the internet (aka turning it off and on), the CEO’s son hands him a $1,500 bottle of scotch. The next day he gets an envelope with a $5,000 check for “emergency tech support.” He may be a failson, but hey, at least he pays his debts.

Related: Think Rich People Don’t Pay Enough Taxes? Join the Club

One benefit of working for rich people is that they have a completely warped sense of value, meaning that they can be generous without even realizing it. For example, one Redditor says they were working for a well-off family in the summer, when the mom picked up a MacBook and asked if the Redditor wanted it. “No one uses it,” the mother explained. And so this Redditor got a free MacBook — just in time for college.

Related: The Richest Person in 40 Countries

If you build two houses on the same property, only to find out that that violates city ordinances, there’s a simple solution: You separate the two mansions with a giant, medieval castle wall. And if you’re building a wall, why not add a $750,000 all-glass sunroom and a gym? That was one rich family’s way of skirting the city ordinance, one Redditor shares. And hey, they’ve even got a video of the structure.

Related: 13 Eccentric Projects of the Super Rich

When you first get a cat, it’s normal that they might be anxious, and so you do your best to make it feel at home. Maybe you buy a few toys and a nice cat bed. But if you’re rich and your new “super expensive rare breed cat” seems a bit off, you send it off on a private jet to your mansion on Lake Como “to spend a holiday in the sun.” The Redditor adds that this is the same family that “berated” their butler for buying soap in plastic dispensers because it wasn’t eco-friendly.

Related: The Most Expensive Pets Money Can Buy

While most of these stories might make you want to call for guillotine-style revolution, some Redditors had complimentary things to say about their rich bosses. A former nanny shares that the parents asked him if he wanted to go to Hawaii on their dime. Sure, it was convenient for them, too — the couple needed someone to watch the kids — but they also gave the Redditor $5,000 in spending money and plenty of free time. “I actually got invited to the oldest daughter's high school graduation because she considered me a friend,” the Redditor adds.

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