To wonder where billionaires find joy...?

[BlackBean2023]

I find joy in so many little things - a clean kitchen, a takeaway every fortnight, a new candle, drinks with my friends... but when these things become the norm surely the spark of joy that comes with them also goes.

I wonder how billionaires, who have a spotless- well managed home(s), private chefs, Jo malone candles galore... find their little bits of joy when their every day life is most people's fantasy.

Anyway, IABU for being up this early on a Monday when I don't have work today. A billionaire would never...

An ex (obviously) of mine thought that, if he were very rich, his joy would be found in cocaine, strippers, and having one of those shallow but beautiful 25 year old girlfriends who will only go out with men in their 50s if there's something in it for them.

They walk amongst us, people!

I don't know any billionaires but I know a couple of millionaires. One is a kind and generous man but his focus is all and only money. How much he's made, what he's worth, what his friends are worth, how well their businesses are going, who's expanded... money is his joy. He's a lovely well liked man who has the time to do loads for the community and volunteers a lot. Every time there's a community event, he'll be giving up his time and dashing around to do stuff. He finds joy there also. But he is a bit boring on the money thing.

Another are a couple with children, one with complex disabilities. They find their joy in all the same places we do emotionally just in a bigger house and more expensive destinations. I was objectively the poorest person she knew and she said the one thing she valued the most about our friendship was how I never made an issue of her money or assumed she couldn't have the same troubles as anyone else just because they were wealthy or that money would always buy a solution when it doesn't.

I've met 2 billionaires - cofounders of the same company when I was supporting their trip to the UK.

1 was very zen, funny, chill... he said he'd missed pret since the last time he'd visited and brought a load of board games from John Lewis because his daughter loved them 😂

The other was a nightmare. Nothing was ever good enough, he was miserable, and had a go at whoever he could because he could 💁‍♀️

I guess if you have enough money to buy everything you could ever need or want, you still need to make conscious decisions to be happy.

I spend so much time day dreaming about being a billionaire.

Off the top of my head I'd enjoy...

A bit bored this week, let's take the yacht around Italy.

Liposuction/Dental implants/Higher tits.

Lots of them moody face designer cats.

Picking out ducks and swans to put in the pond in my new garden. I've pictured this garden a lot. Think Greenwich Park but privately owned by me!

And there you go, a pretty busy schedule 😂

My billionaire friend gets joy from, a clean kitchen, putting on brand new socks, the smell of books and putting on pajamas that have been hanging on a radiator. Why wouldn't she?

I often wonder what you “want” if you can buy just about anything. I think many of them engage in extreme sports to try and get an adrenaline rush which the rest of us might get in different ways . Unfortunately sometimes they have fatal accidents.

I'd still be the same person, but I'd get immense joy in buying the land I'd need and the money to employ staff to help at my yearned for animal sanctuary.

Boats and yachts have not needed ne thing that would excite or inspire me. I need to be around greenery and earthy things, not encased in luxury floating on water 🤣

I once listened to an interview with a psychologist who worked for Davos. She said that billionaires are without doubt the unhappiest people she’d ever met. They are completely driven to earn more and more and more, but they will never reach a point at which they are satisfied. They’re trying to fill an emptiness inside them that cannot be filled and they won’t stop until they’re dead. They trust nobody, and don’t form close relationships because they fear that everyone is after their money. It was quite depressing.

Why do you think billionaires can't "find joy" in those things you mention, such as drinks with friends? I would imagine that entertaining their family and friends is probably one of the main things they do, either in one of their many homes, or their yacht, or renting a huge holiday home and inviting everyone for a week of partying, etc. Even moreso as they'll probably employ their own chef and waiters (and cleaner to tidy up aftewards).

Personally, I'd love the idea of having a private jet or helicopter to take me places so that I can avoid traffic, airports, queues, etc. A helicopter to take me to places like Silverstone for the formula 1, or Glastonbury, etc would be awesome to avoid the road traffic and queuing for entry!

I'd get pleasure out of my fleet of classic cars such as a ferrari and lamborgini rather than a scented candle.

Having several homes all over the World and being able to spend a few weeks in one then moving on to another on a kind of carousel would be awesome. I'd love it. A home near a big city for when I needed to work with meetings, etc., and then "relaxing" homes in other places where I could have fun. Basically, "chasing" the seasons around the World, so I could "move South" for Winter to avoid the cold Northern winters, and then move North again for the Summer! A home in the middle of nowhere with just rolling fields and hills as the view for some serious chill out time.

Some billionaires build their own fairground, or full sized steam railway, or their home has a built in gym, pool and spa for "lazy" days with your friends. Maybe use the money for an expensive hobby, like learning to fly (proper sized planes) and then buying your own home with a runway and buy a couple of proper planes to fly yourself (As John Travolta did!).

I'd certainly never get bored, and certainly never miss "little" things like buying a candle because I get no pleasure now out of buying/lighting a candle! There's so much that I could do with serious money. So many places to travel to, so many places to have multiple homes, so many different hobbies and interests, so much new learning to do.

If you're a billionaire you can have "both" so you can choose what to do, what kind of life you want, and when you want different kinds of life. Some of them do different things at different times of year, etc. Just because you have a luxury yacht doesn't mean you have to be on it all the time - most will be moored or rented out to other people most of the time, maybe even whilst the billionaire is enjoying his eight home in the middle of a "green and earthy" place for relaxation, escapism and chill out time.

I always find it interesting that people who have money are viewed as other beings. Ones who don't have a clue about how us poor people live, or don't care about the small things in life, or treat everyone else with disdain and look down their noses at everyone and who aren't believed when they say they do their own cleaning, cooking or gardening.

In reality I expect the vast majority are like us, except they have choice. Having choice removes the stress. So for instance, Simon Cowell making his favourite cottage pie, or going to maccys drive through, slobbing on the sofa with his son are things he can choose to do or not. David Beckham doesn't have to cook every day when he's at home for his family but he chooses to because it makes him happy. William & Kate say that, when they aren't on duty, the time after school is spent doing homework, cooking, slobbing with their children. Lots of times these claims are met with 'yeah right, course they do' accompanied with rolling eyes. They are just regular people with lots of money for the most part and I imagine they enjoy the same things we all do.

I'm not rich but I have a cleaner because cleaning most definitely does not bring me joy. I choose to spend my free time painting and/or creating because it makes me very happy.

I love your post @BlackBean2023 I think if I were a billionaire I'd enjoy being able to help people. In the absence of billions, I too find contentment and joy in the small things.

Joy isn't exclusive. Every human on the planet has the ability to feel it.

I think you're the weird one finding joy in cleaning! Most of us find joy in something meaningful like our kids or nature which are available at all price brackets, not chores like cleaning!

Lots of people I know who now have money were brought up working class and not particularly rich, so they do appreciate it and able to help out family and friends. They may not be billionaires, but are comfortably off and don't take it for granted.
The ones born into old money who don't need to work may have a different experience, but I don't know any of those.

Fortunately for the billionaires, it's not true. Sweeping generalisations.
My best friend and her husband are billionaires. They lead happy lives. Running a very large business empire is obviously hard work and can be very stressful, but they are very relaxed when they are away from it. They are quietly philanthropic and enjoy doing good with their good fortune. They also have genuine friends who they can trust.

I don't assume anything about billionaires and their lives, it is jealous people who would do that

No one knows what small things make then happy, same with influences I don't follow them but I don't assume anything about them either

What is this obsession of other people's lives? Do people not have lives of their own and need fulfilment in other people's?

I think it must do things to your mind to have so much money. What is it like to be able to have literally anything you want? How do you choose? Part of what gives us joy is getting something we desire, within the limits of what’s possible for us. And looking forward to it. I wonder if being able to have absolutely anything ( in terms of material things) is quite flattening?

I think it’s hard to imagine how much money a billionaire has. I did an interesting little calculation recently. Suppose you could spend £1 every minute of a 24 hour day. It would take you a day to spend £1440. A week to spend £10,000. A year to spend £525,600. It would take 2000 years to spend £1 billion.

There's an interesting article in the FT a couple of years ago by Janan Ganesh about the joy of enough money to do some but not all of the things your wanted. Enough not to worry about day to day but not having enough to do everything you wanted, and having to choose and ration the pleasure- which made you more conscious of what you chose and more mindful about it. I do think happiness is to em extent a choice- easier of you have no financial worries- but after a point the marginal benefit of money to happiness reduces. Having worked with a lot of very rich people I also think the people best equipped to earn fortunes are often not the best equipped to enjoy it- the drive and qualities that let them get wealthy don't necessarily lend to a 'sit back and enjoy' mentality!

Putting their teaspoon through the bit of foil on top of instant coffee. (Actually they probably have fancy machines)

Finding a beautifully smooth pebble on a beach and getting it to bounce as you throw it out to see (perhaps they go to sandy beaches)

Having a lovely hot bath (I’m sure billionaires can enjoy this)

Listening to a great audiobook

Enjoying others’ achievements

I think that this depends on the personality of the billionaire and at what age they made their fortune. I think OP has a point in that if you can have anything, nothing is a thrill or brings joy, after all many very rich people turn to drugs don't they?

I must say cleaning wouldn't be the first thing I'd think of! Satisfaction, yes, but not joy!

I agree with the PPs views that billionaires are only human and will take pleasure in their families, pets, nature and the simple things in life.

But I also think that someone who has clawed their way to making an ENORMOUS amount of wealth likely values money and attainment more than the average Joe. I don't know any billionaires but I do know some self-made multi-millionaires and they seem to love the one-up-manship of peacocking about the latest Lamborghini/ boat/ polo match etc.

But maybe by the time you get to the billionaire level they're over all that stuff and know that life's real joys truly are in family, pets, nature and the simple things in life.

Little trip to their private island with close family and friends?

I cannot relate to being a billionaire at all! But I liken it to being on an all inclusive holiday (a fancy one!) with your family. For me, having cleaners, food and drinks made for me, pools and entertainment all sorted out, I just have all the time in the world to enjoy my family and do things for me (like going for a run, , spending time reading or sketching, getting my nails done etc). I have to say that I don’t think I would get sick of this! And even billionaires have to eat and drink healthily most of the time so drinks with friends or eating a cake is still a treat rather than a daily occurrence. They aren’t exempt from health issues due to an unhealthy diet.