Let's say right away: the type "very modest millionaire" is most often found in Western Europe and North America. Both of these groups are culturally quite different, so they need to be considered separately. And we will start, perhaps, with Europeans, especially with women who like to pretend to be poor and who have managed to turn their innocent habit of donning themselves into a harmonious philosophy of life. Some elements of this shabby trend have already taken root in the street style of the residents of the trendy and prestigious areas of European cities. In Italy, this is very noticeable - if only because Italians used to dress a little more expensive than they could afford.
Let's call our girl "unbalanced millionaire." Believe me, it is very interesting to look at their clothes, to observe their behavior and how they spend their money. Unbalanced millionaires are those who were born into families of millionaires and have spent their entire lives trying to deny it, pretending to be poor and pretending to despise money. They stubbornly refuse to behave like jetsetters, thereby depriving themselves of many of the joys that their money can give. They persistently and ridiculously try to imitate the style of the poor (while they do their best to move in the opposite direction). They worry about their belonging to a privileged class, cursing the fate that has doomed them to endless moral suffering. It is especially difficult for them at the university - they are relieved of torment,only when they withdraw money from the family account at the ATM. At some point in their lives, they come to terms with the origin of these livelihoods - consoling themselves that they are looking for a way to thank the world for their happy destiny.
What are they doing?
They fill the space. Their profession is to gather around themselves a variety of marginal activists. As a rule, women whose age cannot be determined. They lead a symbiotic existence in the most prestigious areas and never get out of there. They wake up by eleven, put on a raincoat or coat over their pajamas (depending on the season) and go for a pre-dinner aperitif. They eat mostly red wine and cheese - a truncated version of the Mediterranean diet. Do you think they are generous and spend all their money on charity? They will never pay for your lunch, and when the bill arrives, they will be the last to pull out the wallet. And most importantly, they live in the cold. It may be good for the skin. But to live in an apartment with three balconies and a view of Piazza Venezia in Rome and not turn on the heater in winter, even when guests come,- it's absolutely in their style.
What are they doing?
Pretending to be poor is hard work. But Europe is just now experiencing a historic moment when it is absolutely necessary to pretend, if only outwardly.
Favorite phrase of unbalanced millionaires: "I have to work." They talk about it even in the most inappropriate situations - in bed, for example. When they are asked the specific question “what do you live on?” They start to stutter. Unbalanced millionaires are always on the move, meeting someone, meeting someone and constantly experiencing hardships. And cigarettes are smuggled to them from Poland, and they are given clothes. In general, not life, but torment.
There are now many such sufferers in France, where the tax tightening imposed by President François Hollande has caused serious changes in the minds of people with capital. The richest Frenchman Bernard Arnault is trying to escape extortion in Belgium. Gerard Depardieu prefers to pay taxes in Russia. Yes, and President Hollande himself, it seems, is clearly overacting with love for the poor (on business he drives a democratic Citroën DS4 car, and to his mistress, actress Julie Gaia, and does on a scooter). In the recently published scandalous book "Thank you for a moment," his former common-law wife Valerie Trierweiler admits that the socialist president actually despises beggars.
Where do rich people live?
Statistics answer this question differently. A recent study by Forbes showed that most of the billionaires live, oddly enough, in Moscow. Until this year, New York, or more precisely, Manhattan, was in first place. Moscow oligarchs live in carefully guarded places, their wealth (especially if it is "old money") does not advertise, but does not hide it either. The main trend among their women is relaxation. Walking in sneakers, not painting lips, flying with EasyJet, wearing jewelry made by girlfriends or woven by children is aerobatics. This means that a woman is confident in her position not only as a wife, but also as a daughter of a man with means. When necessary, she has something to wear, but every five minutes she now considers it beneath her dignity to prove something to others. And her life, by the way, became much more interesting - yoga, children (the more,so much the better), own work, travel around the world in all modes of transport from private jets to electric trains. She does not disdain anything, she even boasts of her omnivorousness. Snobbery is terribly unfashionable.
The richest man in Russia is probably businessman Alisher Usmanov. He is ranked 40th in the ranking of the richest people in the world with a fortune of $ 18.6 billion.
The United States continues to be the leader in the number of millionaires. Experts agency Boston Consulting Group counted in North America more than 7 million families with a fortune of one million dollars. In second place is China (2.4 million such households). Then Japan - 1.2 million. But in terms of the number of millionaires per capita, the quiet Swiss cities of Geneva and Zurich are leading. In the first millionaire every 12th, in the second - every 17th. In third place is Hong Kong, where every 22nd is a millionaire.
Swiss millionaires are invisible people. They wear solid, but unremarkable clothing, so that it is almost impossible to distinguish them from the general stream. Despite the abundance of luxury watch and jewelry brands in Switzerland itself, the Alpine rich prefer jewelry and accessories from the middle price segment. Hundreds of years in a state of neutrality have probably developed a defensive reaction among local residents - not to attract too much attention to themselves. They have a cozy, very provincial taste. But they in no way look like ragamuffins and do not strive for this, Switzerland is not a country about trends at all.
But the Scandinavians now not only follow the trends - they dictate them. Their version of socialism, and Nordic cuisine, and environmentally friendly design are in fashion now. The main trendsetter is Ikeshved founder Ingvar Kamprad. The wardrobe of one of the richest people in the world is austerely simple: simple shirts, a shabby woolen jacket or sweater. The pants fit on him as if they were bought at a sale. Saving is his business philosophy, so he follows the same strategy in his personal life. He flies only in economy class, on business trips he lives in three-star hotels, and he walks around the city or travels by bus. As a last resort he starts his old Volvo.
What do they wear
“Don't rush to think that an American tramp has wandered into your boutique,” teaches a lecturer at Esmod International Fashion University in Paris. Students of this educational institution must undergo practical training behind store shelves. "Don't look at the clothes of the Americans, study their hands." The hands of American visitors do speak volumes about their income. Stretched hoodies, cheap jeans, and worn-out sneakers mean nothing if a woman has a ring on her finger that costs the size of a decent mansion. In their culture, it is customary to wear jewelry all the time, and not hide them in a safe in anticipation of special occasions. At the same time, they dress practically. Look at the traveling American old people. It is enough to intersect with their eagle's views to understand that there is nothing in the world that they cannot afford. There would only be a desire.
A modest charm is common to many Americans, no matter how they got rich. The Olsen sisters have an amazing style of dressing in the style of homeless people - despite the fact that they are no longer even actresses, but play big in the fashion industry.
The easiest way to dress is those who have risen to the Internet technologies. Steve Jobs's image is inextricably linked with the St. Croix Collections, Mark Zuckerberg walks in flip flops on his bare feet. Google creator Sergey Brin and WhatsApp founder Ian Kum don't dress up either. Their business is intangible, they built it on the idea of transmitting thoughts from a distance. They are modern Tibetan monks who are able to travel in space without spaceships. Why do they need trousers ?! Having reached transcendental material heights, these people begin to conceptualize themselves as great donors capable of changing the world. This philosophy is at the heart of The Giving Pledge, founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, which encourages the richest people to donate most of their fortunes to philanthropy. Now there are 105 billionaires in this club - from different countries.
Bag, Moschino, designed by Jeremy Scott
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