3 ms·
> I once worked with an almost-billionaire family. If you ran into them in a restaurant, you would never know. One of my favorite books is The Billionaire Who
by SyneRyder 10y ago
> I once worked with an almost-billionaire family. If you ran into them in a restaurant, you would never know.
One of my favorite books is The Billionaire Who Wasn't, about Chuck Feeney of DFS (Duty-Free Shoppers), and it keeps referencing his cheap Casio watch:
“Since my earliest days I have been frugal, but I am a frugal person in that I hate waste, at any level,” says Feeney, who always wears off-the-peg clothes, a cheap plastic watch, and reading glasses of the type sold in book-stores. “If I can get a watch for $15 that keeps perfect time, what am I doing messing around with a Rolex?”
https://www.amazon.com/Billionaire-Who-Wasnt-Secretly-Fortune/dp/1610393341/ https://www.amazon.com/Billionaire-Who-Wasnt-Secretly-Fortun...
[Incidentally, it means the $200 Pebble watch I wear & love is 13x more expensive/extravagant than that of a billionaire. Gives an interesting perspective.]
- jjeaff 10y agoIt actually makes more sense for the already successful and wealthy to not be interested in outward appearance. They have no one to impress and nothing to gain by showing off. Your up and coming business man, however, may have some logical reasons to signal wealth. Either for networking purposes or convincing potential customers or partners that you are the type of successful person they might want to work with, conspicuous consumption can have its merits.