As regular people suffered from the health and economic impacts of the pandemic, the rich got even richer. According to the Institute for Policy Studies analysis of Forbes data, the combined wealth of all U.S. billionaires increased by $2.071 trillion (70.3%) between March 18, 2020, and October 15, 2021, from approximately $2.947 trillion to $5.019 trillion.
Of the more than 700 billionaires in the country, the top five (Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Elon Musk) saw a 123% growth in their combined wealth during this period, from $349 billion to $779 billion. We, ordinary folks, are sharing the world with these individuals but the laws that govern their everyday life sound nothing like ours.
To further explore this issue, Reddit user Seraphina_Renaldi made a post on the platform, asking everyone: “What is classy if you’re rich, but trashy if you’re poor?” and sure enough, they got plenty of thought-provoking replies. Things like going to the casino or having someone else raise your children. Continue scrolling to check out the answers and upvote the ones you think make the most sense.
#1
The most expensive thing you own is a really old car.
We got in touch with the author of the post, Seraphina_Renaldi, and they were kind enough to have a little chat with us about what inspired them to ask Redditors this question.
“I was scrolling through some profiles on Instagram and I just got the thought that some people are celebrated for things I was berated for in the past and then I remembered reading an article years ago about this topic with a few answers and was curious what Redditors might think about it,” they told us.
Seraphina_Renaldi believes the post went so viral because everyone has experience with this, whether on one side or the other.
“I also think that it’s a topic that can also be a little bit taboo because the financial situation is something very private and people don’t talk about it and their struggles openly when not being anonymous,” they added. “I’ve also had my own experience where the struggles of being poor can be downplayed by some people that especially grew up financially stable so it’s also hard to talk about it when people won’t listen.”
#2
Being on a first-name basis with a judge
#3
If you are weird and rich people call you eccentric, but if you are weird and poor people call you crazy.
#4
Drinking in the park. When they do it it’s a “banquet” but when I do it I’m “hammered” and need to “get off the swings and put my pants on”
Globally, Latin America and the Middle East stand as the most unequal regions, with the top 10% of the income distribution capturing respectively 54% and 56% of the average national income.
Even though inequality declined in a handful of Latin American countries, it persisted, and even increased, in others. In the Middle East, Gulf countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia) have been marked as extremely unequal with little variation since the 1990s.
Europe, on the other hand, is the most equal of all regions, with the top 10% receiving 35% of income in 2019. This can be largely explained by public investments in education and health (i.e. by predistribution policies), financed by a fair amount of taxes (redistribution mechanisms).
#5
If you live in a tiny home it’s ‘eco friendly’ if you live in a trailer you’re trash
#6
Getting money from the government
#7
Someone else raising your kids
As different as their lives are, Seraphina_Renaldi thinks that rich and poor people can still somewhat understand each. Especially if someone’s self-made because they know the struggles that come with an empty wallet.
“I don’t, however, think that people who grew up rich and poor speak the same language,” the Redditor said. “They’ve had extremely different experiences and were socialized in [different environments].”
“But I think that if both sides are open-minded, it’s possible to [relate to] one another.”
#8
Asking your friends for money. If you’re rich, it’s a “fundraiser.” If you’re poor, it’s a handout.
#9
Getting things for free. Which makes me viciously angry.
#10
Van lifestyle: Some wealthy people will drop everything and remodel and literally live in a van or bus, traveling and usually blogging or vlogging along the way. On the flip side, many people did not choose to be homeless and are forced to live out of their cars.
#11
Not working
#12
Day drinking
#13
I guess slapping people
#14
I saw this on a video some time ago and I’ll repeat the response that came with it:
Rich people have mistresses
Middle-class people have affairs
Poor people have side pieces.
#15
Not paying taxes, if your poor your stealing for others but if your rich you have the business savvy
#16
Giving your kids hard to spell/say names
#17
Having a lawyer
#18
Having 5+ kids
#19
Eating animals that are not usually seen as food.
Thrifting
#21
Wearing a bathrobe all day
#22
Being completely s**t-faced. I work in fine dining and you wouldn’t believe the number of rich, well-dressed, “classy” people who get drunk off their a*ses and make a complete fool of themselves and still act better than you while they are doing it.
#23
Casual clothing in a formal environment. Hoodie and cargo pants at a law firm: you’re either going over your trust fund or taking on crippling debt to get out of a public intox charge.
#24
Minimalism.
#25
Police escorts.
#26
Rich: Vintage collector
Poor: Hoarder
#27
Pete Davidson
#28
Showering outside
#29
Lots of sex, when you’re rich it’s a sexual addiction when you’re poor, you are just a wh*re.
#30
Anything to do with making/growing your own food and clothes/home decor.
#31
Rich people say living frugal, we call it broke.
#32
Moving around a lot.
#33
Clothes with no labels. Not working, not knowing how much money is in your bank account
#34
Repurposing things such as jars, containers, boxes, old clothes, etc.
#35
Crime
#36
Casinos
#37
Father has multiple children from multiple mothers.
#38
Speaking multiple languages, tax avoidance, day drinking, owning exotic animals, and having multiple cars on your property.
#39
Buying expensive things. Someone who has money to afford pricy things looks normal doing so, someone who can barely put food on the table yet has an expensive car, clothes, or other luxury items makes em look like a douche
#40
Owning multiple animals.