Are you friends with anyone famous/extremely wealthy and do you find it hard to stay friends with them?

[Bellasblankexpression]

This isn't a humble brag, it will probably come across like one though.

I have a good friend who is very well known. We met as kids then I moved back to my home country but we stayed in touch over the years/visited a lot as we got older and have stayed good friends.

I've always found the shiny famous side of his life bizarre, it's so far removed from who he actually is, and I can't take it seriously when I see him on TV or whatever, but it's never really affected our friendship before, maybe because I knew him way before all the famous stuff.

Lately though, I've finding myself feeling incredibly envious of everything he's got and how easy it all is for him - he can still zip about on a private jet etc because he has the money, Covid quarantine costs etc aren't an issue, his house is like some kind of epic luxury hotel so it was hard to stomach when he was a 'bit fed up' with lockdown.

He's a really nice guy, so he's not a twat with it and incredibly generous, but it's almost like I can't stomach his success now? I've always been proud and happy for him, but I recently lost a lot of work, I'm self employed, but managing to stay afloat just, keep having problems with DS being sent home from nursery due to temp and struggling to keep hold of the few contracts I've got because of it, feel like life is stressy chaos....we mainly chat nonsense on whatsapp, but when actual life/what have you been up to stuff comes up I'm finding it difficult to not be a bit of an arse to him.

DH is surprised it hasn't happened sooner but I'm just a bit sad because we've been friends for so long! It's never been an issue before but the pandemic seems to have brought out the green eyed monster in me.

I just wondered if anyone else has managed to maintain a long-standing friendship with someone who lives in a world that is polar opposite to theirs? I'm kind of thinking this might be the point where we just grow apart and it makes me really sad, especially since I'm the one causing it.

And the reason I've mentioned that he's famous and high profile is because it's relevant - his life is SO SO different to mine, like could not be more different.

Not uber rich but I have friends who are extremely wealthy. For example, she told me she could earn £40K f or one days work which is more than my annual salary.
All fine, aside from in summer when the disparity in our back gardens is just embarrassing. I could never invite her to our house for kids to play as it is a postage stamp compared to hers. We don't even have garden furniture and schlep dining chairs outside.
She just spent £250K landscaping their garden - it has 4 seated areas, a firepit, pod, trampoline, zipline, waterfall and surround speaker system. I love going there, it's like a mini holiday but am totally ashamed of our garden such that I could never invite her to ours in the summer.

Thank you! ☺️

Ah @JMAngel1 that makes me sad. I think the key point here is regardless of wealth or status or profile if someone is your real friend they won’t care one bit about any of that stuff, but the problem is our insecurities can make it a wedge that divides. I know what you mean about it feeling like a mini holiday when you visit though!

I think for me it’s been easy to feel “lesser” in comparison when I haven’t actually seen him for a while, even though we WhatsApp etc, maybe because it’s easier to forget how normal he actually is in person.

@Intercity225 are you actually the Sultan of Brunei?!

Of course a net worth of between 10-100 million is wealthy you absolute loon 😂

[quote Holyfacemask]@Intercity225 are you actually the Sultan of Brunei?!

Of course a net worth of between 10-100 million is wealthy you absolute loon 😂[/quote]

I think it’s just something that happens in life. I am early 40s and notice now how some of my friends lives are now on another level - £3m plus house, private schools etc. It just happens. I think it’s more odd with people you have known for ages than with people you met when they were already in that situation.

Holyfacemask
@Intercity225 are you actually the Sultan of Brunei?!

Of course a net worth of between 10-100 million is wealthy you absolute loon 😂

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I still think it’s Chris Evans and OP has tried to put us off the scent when a few of us guessed he fits the description perfectly and is filming a new Netflix film in Europe that starts this week. (I’m not a stalker I promise, I just saw an article on the gray man film that’s shooting in Prague).

If he is your friend OP I am incredibly jealous, but also agree with others that it will go back to normal just give it time and try to remember why you have been friends for all this time in the first place.

Two friends of mine have become very wealthy over the years thanks to his job. She has given up work to spend more time with her kids (both in childcare so she also has time for tennis lessons and yoga) and they have just bought a £4m house in a part of London I've always adored and which is much nicer than where we live.

I feel so jealous, of her in particular, that I actually find it quite hard to be around them. I see my own children so little because I have a very full-on job so that we can afford our mortgage and I really struggle with hearing about their luxury lifestyle and all the lovely trips they go on. She is very open about the fact she doesn't intend to work again, or will just get a hobby job. I know I shouldn't begrudge their happiness as they were once very dear to me but I find myself having to distance myself from them. I'm not proud of it but seeing her having fun at the seaside with her kids while I'm working like a dog makes me feel so jealous and unhappy.

So no advice OP, but I get it.

@bongbigboobingbongbing I get it, I feel for you, it’s such a shame. I hope I don’t get to that stage but you just can’t help how you feel can you? I’m sorry it’s worked out like that for you.

I’m just going to dodge all guesses now because whatever I say people aren’t going to believe me when I say no, and I’m obviously not going to confirm!

Thanks for all the helpful posts, they have been very helpful and it’s been reassuring to know others have felt the same in similar situations. I’m hoping it will all work out :)

Interesting choice of phrasing OP

I don’t understand the phrasing reference?

I don't have any famous friends, but I do have some really (in my eyes) wealthy friends.

People who can afford to buy a multi-million second home and have it staffed by a housekeeper and groundsmen full time, as well as their multimillion London house. That kind of thing.

I think when we were a bit younger and more about the party - the difference wasn't so pronounced? Or maybe we were more focussed on the 'now'. Also that set of friends always 'levelled down' on group holidays.

The differential is starting to feel larger but I think my situation is easier than yours OP because in those sets of friends all work super hard, both men and women. No one is swanning around on a life of leisure.

What i'm finding harder to deal with, is one of my closest friends has just been left a life changing amount of money. So much that she probably doesn't need to work again, and is starting to look to stop work. That feels like our lives are going to really diverge :-(

Also another friend has just been left nearly a million in cash as an inheritance, and already has a fully-parental paid-for house in London So she is basically totally sorted out.

I find those unearned income differentials harder to deal with.

@YellowFish12 I know what you mean about the gap widening. Although my friend has worked extremely hard and still does, so I don’t feel hard done by in that respect but he can’t deny that the working hard has now paid off so it’s much easier for him to get roles etc he’s not on the breadline and struggling anymore, as a bit of a name he doesn’t have to do much work in pitching himself makes sense. But he did put in a lot of work to get to where he has, so I can’t bedgrudge it in that way
Whereas I’m definitely still slogging away

I’m on my way!
Well in a car on the way.

Feeling much better and, not going to lie, very much looking forward to a break for a couple of nights so thanks for all the advice and shared experiences, it did help!

Great Bella! Have a fab time! 🙂

Enjoy Op! Hope you have a fab time!

Thank you!

How was it op?