June 03, 2008
Problems we all wish we had
From a NY Times article titled "It’s Not So Easy Being Less Rich":
THEIR spouses could leave them when they discover that their net worth has collapsed to eight figures from nine. Friends and business associates could avoid them as they pass their lunchtime tables at Barney’s or the Four Seasons. And these snubs could trickle down to their children.“They fear their kids won’t get invited to the right birthday parties,” said Michele Kleier, an Upper East Side-based real estate broker. “If they have to give up things that are invisible, they’re O.K. as long as they don’t have give up things visible to the outside world.”
...
Justin Sullivan, managing director of Regent Jet, which leases private airplanes, said most clients in real estate and on Wall Street are switching to chartered jets over private jets, and cutting their flight budgets by about 25 percent. One New York real estate developer cut his budget to less than $250,000 a year from $1.5 million a year.“A year ago, he would have only flown Gulfstreams,” Mr. Sullivan said. “Now it’s moving to the point where he’s flying Beech jets and Learjets.”
Waaaaaah.
I'm never sure if the NY Times just wants us to hate rich people, and that's why they do stories like this, or they really think people can sympathize with the mega rich becoming just a touch less mega.
Posted by Karol at June 3, 2008 12:08 PM | TrackBackTechnorati Tags: Economy
I saw a show the other day called "My super sweet sixteen". The girl on this show just didn't seem to appreciate how much better being rich is than being poor, and continually bitched and moaned about things like her new top of the range convertable being not-quite-the-right colour. I just wanted to slap her.
The story you quoted will never elicit sympathy from anybody IMO, so it is probably some jealousy piece. In the UK we seem to love the underdog, but as soon as they make it, we start to pull them apart.
Was this story in the Style/Life section?
Posted by: Shawn at June 3, 2008 01:10 PMMeh, these kinds of articles are written for the sole purpose of making normal people harumph.
Posted by: Eric at June 3, 2008 02:51 PMKarol,
I'll have you know I called off the wedding with my financier fiance once I heard his bonus was going to be under 10 mil!
Posted by: Yana at June 3, 2008 03:14 PMSo you're newly single, Yana?
I can assure that my 2008 bonus will not be millions less than my 2007 bonus. (thousands, maybe)
Posted by: E5 at June 3, 2008 04:06 PMWere does NYT find these people? More proof that the only people NYT reporters will talk to are idiots. Or is it only idiots will talk to NYT reporters?
Posted by: Jake at June 3, 2008 10:05 PMOMG! We CAN'T have them flying charter!!!
Posted by: Yvonne at June 4, 2008 11:50 PM
