How To Spot Fake Rich People, According to the Truly Rich Lady

While waiting for my driver to pick me at the driveway of Grand Old Hotel, I overheard this conversation: 

“That one! That looks like a good one right, Jen?”

“Yes, yes! Porsche Boxster, the 2020 model. Gucci sneakers. Suit and sunglasses. And a full head of hair. Get yourself an old rich hubby, Tina! Go!” 

I wanted to tell these beautiful husband hunters that their aim was totally off, but my driver was, as usual, on time and so I went on my merry way. As we turned the corner, I looked back and saw the prettier one slithering toward her target.

Keen observers know that a red sports car doth not a Truly Rich Gentleman make. The fancy vehicle could be borrowed. The man who drove it might just be delivering the car, making him a minion (a driver?) who is paid a fee and not the CEO that makes the big bucks. 

Maybe it is harder now to determine who is Truly Rich, what with hordes of people coming into money or, you know, dressing like they have money. Which brings me to my first point:

The Truly Rich Are Never Obvious

What these husband-trappers did not notice is the 40ish man who stepped out of the Mercedes, an old but well-maintained W124. He was dressed in a blue short-sleeved shirt with black pants, which were not fashionably trim, and black leather loafers, which did not have logos. He was also balding. In short, he repelled attention, but I know for a fact that his family owns a tiny fraction of this rich city. He did not, as well, want to be noticed because he is very busy—and already has a wife.

The Truly Rich Possess Truly Rich Energy

My intern just explained what “BDE” means, and oh my! Anyway, I will adapt BDE as TRE or Truly Rich Energy. Like BDE, this is an aura that only Truly Rich project. While they are dressed simply, they carry themselves differently. It's not an I-own-the-world energy, the kind that charges at you with force, the kind that hurts. Instead, it is just... well, I don't really know how to explain it. Dignified grace? Simmering power? But you'll know it when it's there. When you are compelled to step aside in order to make way for a stranger, who seems to glow, it is because of his TRE.

The Truly Rich Are Trailed By Assistants

The grand old dame, the one who is behind the empire (mothers or wives of the CEO or daughters of the chairman emeritus), does not arrive at the department store alone. She is protected by a phalanx of assistants. And her assistants are not ordinary assistants, by the way. They live in expensive neighborhoods, but not the most expensive; they are also paid very handsomely, which also means they are expected to answer their master's call anytime, day or night—even when they are, say, taking a bath! When you see two ladies with TRE, one trailing the other at a respectful distance, the lady leading the pack is probably Truly Rich.

The Truly Rich Are Older

It is only but natural that the more grizzled—I mean—seasoned they look, the more money they have. Fortunes take generations to build, unless you are some sort of tech whiz kid or a bad man, who has acquired wealth through dubious means. They don't count. The young masters of the Truly Rich also do not count, because, well, they are not the Truly Rich just yet. The Old Ones have to keel over before they get the true fortune. (Side note: Some Truly Rich Ladies do not look old because they are well preserved.) 

The Truly Rich Are Never Around

If you know their names because you see their faces plastered on the party pages of newspapers every week, they are probably not Truly Rich. Despite the mountains of invitations that crowd their desks and inboxes, the Truest of the Truly Rich rarely go to high profile parties. They will only appear if it is really important, such as a family affair, or if it is really needed for work, as in the groundbreaking of their latest tower, or their amiga's zumba fundraising party. They also do not go to events because there are more pressing matters that need attending to: the making of their fortune, for example. And when they do bless an occasion with their presence, they leave early, most of the time, after the toast and sometimes, just before dessert. The car is always nearby and the driver is never late.