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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think rich people steal money all the time and that’s often why they’re rich?

647 replies

MyAmusedOpalCrab · 05/08/2025 16:48

We hear so much about “hard work” and “smart investments” but let’s be honest, so many rich people didn’t get wealthy by being ethical. From dodgy business practices to exploiting workers, tax dodging, insider deals and straight-up corruption, wealth often comes at someone else’s expense.

Governments bail out billionaires while ordinary people struggle to afford rent. CEOs cut wages and benefits while pocketing massive bonuses. Huge corporations find loopholes to avoid taxes while the rest of us get squeezed.

Obviously not every rich person is a thief but AIBU to think that a lot of them are? That the system is rigged in their favour and they keep getting richer by bending or outright breaking the rules?

OP posts:
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Charlize43 · 06/08/2025 18:15

Having worked with quite a few celebrities, I can say that I've met my lifetime's share of freeloaders (and in a big way too).

I remember one X (worth several millions) who asked if she could use one of the office phones to make a call home (USA) and then proceeded to spend hours on the phone calling up various family members. Clearly she was savvy enough to know if she'd have made these calls from her hotel suite she would have been billed for them, and it would cost her nothing making them from the venue instead. CF.

We also used to have irons, to items of wardrobe, towels, shower mats, vases, etc. often disappearing from 'star's dressing rooms. One even took the lightbulbs after the run! I'm not kidding!

And these people are very generously paid and have huge net worths.

Goddessoftheearth · 06/08/2025 18:14

There are also many wealthy people who abide by the rules and do a great deal of good with their money - but they do it quietly and without fanfare. Good news/ people doing by the book doesn’t make headlines.

onedogatoddlerandababy · 06/08/2025 18:13

FenderStrat · 05/08/2025 16:49

I'm more upset about benefits cheats.

Why? They cost barely anything in comparison to tax avoidance/evasion particularly in the case of corporation tax

Vynalbob · 06/08/2025 18:06

FenderStrat · 05/08/2025 16:49

I'm more upset about benefits cheats.

Hope this is sarcasm but wouldn't be shocked if it wasn't

This is why it never gets better.
Joe Bloggs gets £300 over payment and it's off with his head.
Frederick Percival Cangivastuff-Smyth fiddles £3 million and it's ohh Freddy he's such a wag (okay wag has a different meaning now but you get the gist).

MrsPositivity1 · 06/08/2025 18:05

It’s the tax that the rich & super rich pay that pays for the people on benefits (whether legitimately or otherwise)

GiveDogBone · 06/08/2025 18:01

OP you really are an idiot. I’m sorry there’s no kinder way to say it. When you say “Governments bail out billionaires”, do you have any idea how and on what the government actually spends money (tax mostly raised from rich people).

Over half the country, probably including you, receives more from government spending than they pay in taxes.

Maybe spend more time worrying about yourself rather than blaming other people for your own failings and inadequacies.

Bernardo1 · 06/08/2025 18:00

Yes.

C36M · 06/08/2025 17:58

FenderStrat · 05/08/2025 16:49

I'm more upset about benefits cheats.

You’re upset with the wrong people. Only 4.2% of benefit claims are fraudulent, and the reason a lot of working people need universal credit top ups, is because rich people don’t pay their staff high enough wages. A lot of people who work full time need a benefit top up

Momononoyoooo · 06/08/2025 17:51

I also agree as the people I know not millionares but close got to that poace by tax evasion and exploring people below them.

Momononoyoooo · 06/08/2025 17:50

When I worked at Tesco I used to attend Management meetings snd what I heard made my blood boil. Making cuts to staff becuase the share holders needed a bigger cut of peofitw and the profits made where not as big as they hoped compared to previous years. Excuse me they are making billions in profits and people have to loose their jobs!!!! Disgusting and evil!

Lollylucyclark101 · 06/08/2025 17:49

MyAmusedOpalCrab · 05/08/2025 16:48

We hear so much about “hard work” and “smart investments” but let’s be honest, so many rich people didn’t get wealthy by being ethical. From dodgy business practices to exploiting workers, tax dodging, insider deals and straight-up corruption, wealth often comes at someone else’s expense.

Governments bail out billionaires while ordinary people struggle to afford rent. CEOs cut wages and benefits while pocketing massive bonuses. Huge corporations find loopholes to avoid taxes while the rest of us get squeezed.

Obviously not every rich person is a thief but AIBU to think that a lot of them are? That the system is rigged in their favour and they keep getting richer by bending or outright breaking the rules?

I’ve never heard such nonsense in my life. 😂🤣

Karistyleaftea · 06/08/2025 17:44

Fast tracking the awarding of PPE contracts because you can make a new rule, even though the PPE was unusable?

TheLudditesWereRight · 06/08/2025 17:41

FenderStrat · 06/08/2025 17:02

Humour me.
How?
Give an example.

Committing ecocide by dumping raw sewage in rivers to increase shareholders profits

Karistyleaftea · 06/08/2025 17:32

What about people being able to buy multiple properties and avoiding stamp duty then?
Say if you could belong to a particular party and then exploited a loophole instigated by your party, just as an example.
For example, what if say someone who was an MP say bought 7 flats at the same time to rent out for example?
(As reported in the Daily mirror, so may or may not be factual)
Ordinary working people feel lucky if they can buy one.

FenderStrat · 06/08/2025 17:02

TheLudditesWereRight · 06/08/2025 12:14

A lot of people missing the fairly obvious point that if you are rich you have the influence to make the immoral shit you want to get up to legal.

Humour me.
How?
Give an example.

cardibach · 06/08/2025 16:53

Dingledongledell · 06/08/2025 16:47

Do you think these rules are there because:

a) they benefit the rich, or;
b) they benefit the UK economy.

what was the motivation behind the chancellor’s actions? I see lots of calls for e.g. wealth taxes, which would actively harm the UK economy. The only advantage is that it would salve a few people who have bought into the false notion that ‘the wealthy’ are ripping them off in some way. I’m glad the chancellor isn’t lowering herself to buy up votes.

I think they are pr8marily because they benefit the rich. It didn't benefit the economy to have the wealth of the government and everyone else sucked up by a few super rich people at the top who hoard it.

Dingledongledell · 06/08/2025 16:47

cardibach · 06/08/2025 16:40

They are described as such, yes.
They still benefit the rich though, don't they?

Do you think these rules are there because:

a) they benefit the rich, or;
b) they benefit the UK economy.

what was the motivation behind the chancellor’s actions? I see lots of calls for e.g. wealth taxes, which would actively harm the UK economy. The only advantage is that it would salve a few people who have bought into the false notion that ‘the wealthy’ are ripping them off in some way. I’m glad the chancellor isn’t lowering herself to buy up votes.

cardibach · 06/08/2025 16:40

Dingledongledell · 06/08/2025 16:24

The lower taxes on passive income / assets are there to encourage people to invest in riskier assets and encourage entrepreneurs. The non Dom tax rules are there as non-doms are domiciled (based) elsewhere in the world and therefore only their UK income or overseas income remitted to the UK is subject to tax here. The chancellor is considering rolling back their changes to non-dom rules as thry are slowly realising how harmful they are to the UK economy and how the UK tax take was predicted to fall as a result of her changes. Would you rather have the old non-dom rules and a higher tax take, or the new rules (which you may deem fairer) and a lower tax take?

They are described as such, yes.
They still benefit the rich though, don't they?

Cyclebabble · 06/08/2025 16:32

Cososom · 06/08/2025 15:27

We're not talking about you, poppet. Well, unless you're using your salary to fund think tanks and lobby politicians in the hope of getting those pesky tax bands changed. Are you?

Fuck me, neoliberalism is a disease, innit?

How very patronising. What starts as focusing on the so called super rich soon comes to me by experience. Largely when you realise that trying to tax the very rich with moveable assets just makes them move. There is much research indicating that higher tax rates produce a limited tax return. But hey, why late facts get in the way of giving anyone paying higher tax rates a good kicking?

Dingledongledell · 06/08/2025 16:24

cardibach · 06/08/2025 16:14

The lower taxes on passive income/assets.
Non-dom rules.
Without even thinking for long.

The lower taxes on passive income / assets are there to encourage people to invest in riskier assets and encourage entrepreneurs. The non Dom tax rules are there as non-doms are domiciled (based) elsewhere in the world and therefore only their UK income or overseas income remitted to the UK is subject to tax here. The chancellor is considering rolling back their changes to non-dom rules as thry are slowly realising how harmful they are to the UK economy and how the UK tax take was predicted to fall as a result of her changes. Would you rather have the old non-dom rules and a higher tax take, or the new rules (which you may deem fairer) and a lower tax take?

cardibach · 06/08/2025 16:14

Dingledongledell · 06/08/2025 16:12

Which part of tax legislation was made by the wealthy for their benefit rather than the benefit of the wider UK public? C’mon, name sections. Don’t be shy.

You sound like an unhinged grievance-ridden conspiracy theorist you really do.

The lower taxes on passive income/assets.
Non-dom rules.
Without even thinking for long.

Dingledongledell · 06/08/2025 16:12

Mrsbloggz · 06/08/2025 12:31

True, but the tax code/tax laws are in the control of the powerful and therefore they are made such that they favor the powerful.

Which part of tax legislation was made by the wealthy for their benefit rather than the benefit of the wider UK public? C’mon, name sections. Don’t be shy.

You sound like an unhinged grievance-ridden conspiracy theorist you really do.

Cyclebabble · 06/08/2025 16:00

cardibach · 06/08/2025 12:26

You still aren’t rich in the context of the thread though, so that point is moot.

Err no its not. I am paying probably more than 50% and I do not want to pay any more thanks.

Cososom · 06/08/2025 15:27

Cyclebabble · 05/08/2025 22:31

I might now be considered rich. I came from a poor working class family. I earned my money through many years of hard work and putting in hours and taking risks that others did not. I did not steal anything. For people of relatively modest means in the UK we tax at 50% (40% income tax and 10% NI). This is madness. We need a smaller state with less benefits.

We're not talking about you, poppet. Well, unless you're using your salary to fund think tanks and lobby politicians in the hope of getting those pesky tax bands changed. Are you?

Fuck me, neoliberalism is a disease, innit?

nearlylovemyusername · 06/08/2025 14:52

Barbadossunset · 06/08/2025 13:06

Has always been that way, but more and more people are realising they're just a tool in someone else's plan to be rich and successful and they're kicking back.
@Audiwannabe

What do you think the consequences will be now more and more people are ‘kicking back’?

Those kicking back are voting Trump and Reform? who are going to make them much poorer?

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