Reply #33: Old Money Has Always Hated New Money

[NashVegas]

We didn't invent the term "nouveau riche."

This is coming from the perspective of someone who grew up two-three rungs up from the trailer park, on the socio-economic ladder and now mingles among people of all walks of life. Living in the very society-conscious South.

One of the things that people with old money tend to do is contribute to their local community both with their cash and with their time. You can sit around on your butt all day, or you can get on a committee and hang out with people in similar circumstances, and have something to pat yourself on the back for.

People of lesser circumstance don't have that background, that habit of contribution. We grew up with the 40 hour work week, and some of us, barely enough money to get by day-to-day, let alone write checks for everything from museums to the local animal shelter.

So you sell your house, you sell the IT stock options, you win the lottery, or whatever, and all the sudden you've got all this money. If you want to be accepted by the old money, the quickest way to do it is step up to the plate. It also helps to be able to keep the money rolling in once you've got it. The truly rich don't live off of their income, they live off the interest of their income/capital. Otherwise, you may be on the same footing with them, financially, but that doesn't necessarily mean you're "the right sort of people."