Luxury
Five Quiet Luxuries That Only the Super Rich Can Afford
It’s Not Loro Piana or Delvaux
The Walmart Birkin took the internet by storm last year. It went viral on social media and changed the luxury brand landscape in the same way DeepSeek changed the artificial intelligence ecosystem.
The bag also known as the Wirkin (Walmart Birkin) was sought out by many and frequently sold out in store and online at Walmart. For decades, Hermes bags were the ultimate status symbol.
The bags were coveted beyond their exclusive USD 10,000 price tag. If a person wanted an Hermes bag, they would have to be “offered” by the store through the sales associate that a person had a professional relationship with. For years, brands such as Hermes, Chanel and Delvaux were the epitome of wealth and luxury.
However, as the masses now have more access to these bags, whether original, inspired or faked, the super rich are starting to flex on a different level that is unattainable to the general masses.
Clean Air
If you live in the city, you know that clean air is a luxury. Whether we are going to work, getting a cup of coffee, or waiting in line at the cash register, we are constantly bombarded by pollution. Breathing clean air is becoming more and more challenging on a daily basis.
When was the last time you were able to take a deep breath and inhale clean, crisp air? Air has now become a luxury. As the earth is getting more densely populated, we are now fighting to breathe. Whether it is pollution or smelling what our neighbor is cooking for dinner, clean air is rarely accessible to the general public.
Only those wealthy enough to have large mansions and parcels of land can now afford to inhale and breathe deeply. Surrounded by lush trees that filter out pollution, having access to fresh air has become the ultimate flex.
Peace and Quiet
Horns honking, people yelling, or television blasting are the noises that we hear on a daily basis. If we’re lucky, one of our neighbors is doing a home renovation, and we can hear drills, tractors, and chainsaws. Just a normal day for many of us.
The saying, “It’s so loud here, I can’t even hear myself think,” is a reality for us all. We are constantly bombarded with noise starting from our morning commute when we are stuck in traffic or taking public transport.
When we are walking down the street, entering the office lobby or school, there is constant noise surrounding us. And yet, for those who can afford it, their days are filled with peace and quiet. The kind that surrounded classical maestros and inspired them to compose the Winter Sonata or Four Seasons.
The wealthy are able to move in ways and make money that the rest of us are not able to. Not only due to the resources that they have but also the fact that they are able to think clearly and not be bombarded by six different noises coming from all directions.
As I’m writing this, I’m hearing my next-door neighbor pressure washing his garage at 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning.
Let’s not forget the noise pollution that we create for ourselves. Did your phone alarm wake you up this morning? Did you receive an email notification? Did your instant messaging go on from a message? Do you have an alarm reminding you to do something or be somewhere? The super-rich have no need for constant notifications on their devices.
They can afford to live a leisurely life and turn off their notifications because they have people to run their lives for them. Assistants, bankers, accountants, lawyers, and chefs are on hand to help the super-rich manage their notifications.
Furthermore, the super-rich have access to places that afford them the luxury of peace and quiet. Places such as exclusive country clubs and restaurants. Places that even money can’t buy your way in. Where members have to be nominated by other members, and reservations are made through channels only the super-rich know.
While all of us are busy running the rat race on and offline, our heads so filled with noises that we can hardly think, the super-rich are living like it’s the 1950s and are able to have a wholesome, peaceful, and tranquil life.
Health
According to Vogue, health has become the ultimate flex for a wealthy individual. Remember how Cher has been able to defy gravity and time for the last fifty years? Cher is a 78-year-old woman and yet still walks, talks, and looks like she is in her 30s.
This type of aging, where a person’s physical and mental state has always been sharp, comes with money. Lots of it. It’s expensive to look and feel young. Take, for example, Bryan Johnson, the 45-year-old billionaire who spends USD 2 Million per year to have the body of an 18-year-old.
Food has now become a new luxury. The recent egg shortage and price increase in the United States have shown how the basic egg can be out of reach for the average person, given the perfect storm. The super-wealthy have the time and resources to bake healthy food from scratch without preservatives or additives.
Moreover, the super-rich have access to concierge doctors who are on call 24/7 anywhere they are around the world, who can tailor and personalize their health regime and treatments.
For example, Private Medical, a concierge medicine company catering to the super-rich, charges USD 40,000 a year and up to be a member. The company has a network of more than 30 affiliated medical centers, supported by 4,000 leading medical specialists in 200 cities globally.
With fresh food paired with on-call doctors who tend to their supplement and holistic needs as well, it’s no wonder that the super-rich are always healthy and aging backward.
Time
The luxury of taking things slow and pursuing one’s passion is the benchmark of wealth. Leisure activities such as reading books, playing tennis and golf or being able to go through the day slowly instead of rushing from one appointment or activity to another are tell tale signs of the super rich.
Many of us live our lives being rushed from one errand or appointment to another. Barely catching our breath and looking forward to our Summer vacation (if any). But the super rich, they have all the time in the world to do what they want, when they want.
Time is the ultimate luxury that is being gate keep by the super-rich. It’s not the Loro Piana shoes, Chanel boots, or even the Prada bag. The ultimate luxury is when a person can buy back their time and have ultimate time freedom.
Digital Anonymity
The super-rich have no digital footprint. If they do, it is very curated and very minimal. Whatever we see online about them is by design. To help boost their company or themselves as part of their legacy.
The super-rich have no digital footprint. If they do, it is very curated and very minimal. Whatever we see online about them is by design. To help boost their company or themselves as part of their legacy.
The super-rich are never doom scrolling like the general masses nor are they creating content every chance they get to chase views, algorithms, and brand partnerships. They are too occupied with yachting at St Barth’s, reading to enrich themselves, or golfing to strengthen their network.
In an age where everyone is a content creator, constantly on their phones creating content in anticipation of the next viral video, or being in the creator fund, the super-rich barely know how to do a video call.
The hustle culture exists differently on their level. Instead of fighting to be in the room where it happens, the super-rich have people fighting to be in the room where they are.
The true quiet luxury that the super-rich possess isn’t merely a niche or a passing trend. Their luxuries lie in the simple things in life that many of us can no longer afford, such as fresh, healthy food sourced from local farms, clean air, peace and quiet, and a sense of anonymity. These were once considered average and often taken for granted.
The next time you see someone flexing their luxury handbags, branded clothes, and precious jewelry, just remember that the super-rich are flexing on a different level.
The difference is what they are flexing is unaffordable to many of us.
