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.

It’s normal to want distance from people who don’t share your same lifestyle when you have young children. You want to surround yourself with people who support your way of life not jar with it. I wouldn’t ditch your friend because you might not feel this way once your DS is school age. I’ve reconnected with some of my single friends now my DC are a bit older and I feel less house bound and frumpy.

Reading through your comments OP reminded me of how I felt when I had my first baby and how I started to feel about my single friend .
I was shattered and felt frumpy and she suddenly seemed so much more glamorous and her life was so free and easy that I began to resent her.even though her life was no different to how it had been for years, really it was nothing to do with her but more that I was a bit jealous of her freedom and that she could have a full 8 hrs sleep!!! But on the flip side as it turns out all she wanted was to meet some one and have a family. Don't let this blip ruin your friendship, xx enjoy having him as your glam famous friend!!

As I said, we've known personally people worth between £10 - £100 million. It's not my idea of extremely wealthy; but it might be to some people

Literally at this

My dad is ‘famous’ in his line of work. My eldest brother followed in my dads work and is now incredibly, incredibly wealthy. Both myself and my sister are comfortable but not wealthy to my brother or my dads standard.
My brother lives a very extravagant lifestyle. He has the best of the best and the top of the range absolutely everything. Both me and my sister live moderate lifestyles.

I know I could ask my brother for anything and he would get me it. But I would never ask. I suppose I’m quite proud and prefer to earn my own money.

I stopped being friends with someone I'd known for years because she and her husband earned huge amounts of money from companies I consider to be morally dubious. I honestly don't think I could stomach going to dinner with them. Or afford it! So yes, the money changed our friendship but it was about where is came from more than the amount (think arms dealing territory!)

Op I think your friend is Lewis capaldi

Thank you @PeacheyPeach

@tinselvestsparklepants woah I don’t blame you there!

Nope not Lewis Capaldi

I used to compare myself to others quite a lot and it brought me down a bit.

When my richest friend's child got leukemia my perspective changed drastically.

The important things can't be bought.

My bosses are extremely wealthy. I’m not jealous. The way they spend their money is honestly my idea of hell. Houses with staff, huge parties in luxury villas and that kind of thing. There’s pressure to always be toned, slim, well groomed (plastic surgery).

Yes they’ve done the private jet thing during lockdown that all the rich have done but that’s really not honourable behaviour and nothing to be jealous of.

I've got friend from uni who is loaded probably circa £20Million.

I feel like I have distanced myself a bit and I just don't have much in common with her anymore.

She doesn't work and has just got into a hobby that I used to love and can no longer afford/have time for due to working.

I think the main thing though is the realisation that her kids pretty much set for life and mine aren't I find that hard to take.

Not her fault but I just don't find her that relateable

Yes, I am. No, it's not hard at all.

I have a distant (not too distant) cousin who is a world famous chef.

I like to think I have a fairly good life, but it pales into complete and utter significance when compared!!

We’ve never met - this person is always far too busy.

Could be very easy to be very jealous, but we live with the hand we are dealt with!

@Intercity225

Clients are not friends though

As I said, we've known personally people worth between £10 - £100 million. It's not my idea of extremely wealthy; but it might be to some people?

Don't be daft. What would your idea of wealth be, then?

Reading some of the responses it always strikes me as odd that siblings of very wealthy people lead relatively modest lifestyles. I know if I was worth Tens of millions I would have to make sure my sister was comfortable etc. I would feel uneasy with such a wealth gap between us, surely you would share your success?

It’s a different matter if your wealth is tied up in a company, but to have millions sat in the bank -morally I would have to share some. It reminds me of the lottery winner thread.

@Thewiseoneincognito

Reading some of the responses it always strikes me as odd that siblings of very wealthy people lead relatively modest lifestyles. I know if I was worth Tens of millions I would have to make sure my sister was comfortable etc. I would feel uneasy with such a wealth gap between us, surely you would share your success?

It’s a different matter if your wealth is tied up in a company, but to have millions sat in the bank -morally I would have to share some. It reminds me of the lottery winner thread.

It is so so easy to spend other people money.

One of my oldest friends is very wealthy. Family money.

It never used to bother me at all, but as I've got older, probably because I'm older and can now see the outcomes of choices people of my peer group have made, I do see how her wealth innoculated her from the repercussions of some very poor decisions she made when she was younger, decisions that would have wrecked most other people's lives.

It's not the money per se, or the ability to acquire a certain lifestyle, but the security it gave her that I feel most keenly now. If she disliked a job, she simply left it. When a cohabiting relationship broke down, she simply told him to leave. She was never going to end up homeless, or with only a tenner in her account, or working a miserable job because she needed the money until she found something better.

Whereas my life has been very much about considering all that could go wrong if I made a certain decision, because I didn't have that security. I've had to be very risk adverse because there wasn't much between me and the poor house, so to speak.

It's the emotional and psychological burden of all that - - the fear, I guess - - that her wealth rendered absent.

I think wealth and fame are different beasts and hard to handle sometimes in different ways.

I have a few friends who are internationally known, however it isn’t for wealth or fame, they are just incredibly good at their jobs and you would have seen them regularly on TV but just probably not a ‘household’ name.

They live in modest houses mostly, but are very lovely. However I know that they have an ‘invisible ring’ around them as they are so incredibly busy.

So I’m a friend, but I think I have to respect that their life is very ‘important’ to keep being their friend. I can’t always expect them to be there, or reply. They are living a really different life from me. However they also really respect me, respect my ordinariness. I think I give them a bit of ‘life’ which is refreshing as their world is full of ‘weight’ and responsibility. I love their friendship and value these friends a lot.

I think wealth and fame are different beasts and hard to handle sometimes in different ways.

That is very true. I don't know anyone famous, but count among two of my best friends, very wealthy indeed.

[quote Bellasblankexpression]@Polkadots2021 aw thank you that’s such a lovely post.

@monkeytenniss yes he’s not showy at all, has stayed at our modest house before no problems, he’s a very normal guy when you know him. I think he would be really bothered by it if he knew I was feeling like this 😳[/quote]
Is it Harry Styles? He is such a sweet young man!

I agree .

You cant buy a good friend, that is genuine & good fun, with you on the way up and on the way back down.

Never underestimate the value that a wealthy friend places on you. “ True” friends are priceless and I would think wealthy people are all too aware of this , as they can be surrounded quite often by people who are not so true.

Interesting quote.

“People with a culture of poverty suffer much less from repression than we of the middle class suffer and indeed, if I may make the suggestion with due qualification, they often have a hell of a lot more fun than we have.”
Brian Friel

My cousin is a CEO of a FTSE business with Trillions in the portfolio, he is the same boy I remember at my nanas at Christmas pinching her chocolate cake before dinner! Still pops to our local pub, goes to our football team matches etc, you would never know if you spoke with him how rich he is!

I have a rich stay at home mum friend who I'm finding extremely annoying lately. She is away getting cosmetic surgery at the moment and she gets anxiety over really daft things. She doesn't work and spends loads on luxuries which I cant afford and yes, she's just getting a bit annoying now. I know it's probably jealousy for me. I'd love to have that much money and free time to worry about which ballet class my daughter should attend but I work (not full time but it's a stressful job) and it is a bit grating!

@Bellasblankexpression

No not Lewis Capaldi. He’s American and an actor. That’s all the vague info I’m giving sorry!

I actually feel better for posting, I expected to be flamed so thanks for all your kindness and advice. I think I need to not lose sight of the person and while I’m feeling a bit run down and weary it’s very easy to feel envious about things.

Is it Chris Evans AKA Captain America? God I love that man

@Intercity225

Clients are not friends though

As I said, we've known personally people worth between £10 - £100 million. It's not my idea of extremely wealthy; but it might be to some people?

🤣😂

Yeah okay. Trifling innit?

@MustardRose

I used to be friends with a couple of people who have become very well known (one spectacularly so) and as their fame grew they completely shut down things like FB which is how we contacted each other. I know both their mums though, and I keep in touch through them.

One I knew through a mutual hobby, but he's moved to another part of the country and I don't see him at that any more. He's rarely at home anyway and is - covid permitting - often away for days at a time filming. We keep in touch by email about once a year or so.

Another will become a well-known face in a few weeks' time but I can't tell you about that.

Love Island?