Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think British people just hate anyone making good money

195 replies

Newusernameeeee · 07/10/2025 15:11

I have seen countless posts where a poster who is high earner and will mention struggling and then they will get barrage of hate on being a high earner.
Most people on MN support the fact that anyone making over 100k shouldn't get free funded hours or child benefit as if their DC don't deserve anything.

Similarly seen so much hate on landlords and landladies as if everyone should give away their homes for free to other people. Even if they did sell it all, then there won't be much houses available for the renters.

Have seen hatred on big corporation and tech and even small businesses for charging £5 for a coffee.
Why do British people hate anyone making decent money or doing entrepreneurship? Are we in a race to bottom? Why can't we take inspiration from others who are doing well and try to do better for ourselves than the endless envy?

OP posts:
YoureNotGoingOutLikeThat · 07/10/2025 17:32

5128gap · 07/10/2025 16:51

The problem is the only way a lot of people 'make good money' and 'do well for themselves' is by exploiting other people. We pay extortionate amounts these days for necessities like housing and food, never mind the extras that make life worth living. That money is going out of ordinary people's pockets into the already healthy bank accounts of the better off. And while most people have no choice but to accept they're scrimping while their landlord lives off the pigs back, and their employer pays them NNW while getting rich off their work, they naturally don't love having that rammed down their throats. Envy is lazy thinking. It's actually injustice.

So much this.
I don't think people have a problem with those who accrue wealth through hard work that does not exploit others. But it's hard to hear people complain of finding life hard on 6 figure salaries when many who provide vital services (ie NHS) are wondering what the yellow label section in the supermarket might offer to get a few pennies off their weekly shop.
For some reason, we have a fundamental error of judgement when we think people on low wages deserve it and those on huge salaries have simply worked hard for that. People work hard on low salaries too.
One of the reasons that housebuying is so expensive is because about 25 years ago pension predictions were dire and the whole concept of buy to let to fund your old age was born. And generations of people on modest wages have lost out. There is a social cost here because those life long private renters who can no longer afford to buy will end up reliant on the state as pensioners - which will require more tax to shore up the increasing welfare bill.

DIYagainstMould · 07/10/2025 17:34

You are getting it wrong. I don't envy high earners who spend it all and complain from struggling. I pity them. That is basic human decency and the ones who are greedy are obvious not us on the moderate income who live within our means but your so called high earners who have always open greedy bums who never get filled enough with whatever they get stuffed with. How about that.

BarbarasRhabarberba · 07/10/2025 17:35

mamabeeboo · 07/10/2025 17:04

I agree that of course you wouldn't say anything for fear of sounding boastful and arrogant, that is exactly what I said in my post. You would just share a "by the way house warming" and the dots would be connected themselves.

Unfortunately there are very few people you can call to explicitly say an achievement you have accomplished.

But realistically, my answer to "why would you say anything" is because you should be proud of yourself. But we can't feel proud of ourselves and share our successes for fear of being perceived negatively, exactly as I have said.

Edited

I actually think it’s disgusting that we as a nation have reached a point of such economic disparity that we now have to be “proud” of “achieving” a secure home which should be a basic right accessible to everyone. I say this as a homeowner who bought without help.

Kendodd · 07/10/2025 17:40

I actually think high earners should get child benefit and subsidised childcare. It's not about the money it's about everybody benefiting from these things. The 'rich' are the people paying the taxes to pay for all this stuff and I don't think it's right they're then the only people excluded from accessing them. And, plenty of 'rich' families are really hardly better off than those considered not rich. Childcare benefits for example, what's the threshold for that? About 65k? Also, I've noticed benefit claimants only ever talk about how much cash goes in their bank account or personal allowance. They never seem to factor in housing benefits or all the other free stuff these benefits open up for them and then compare it to a before tax income. Benefits can sometimes add up to an equivalent quite substantial salary.

Meadowfinch · 07/10/2025 17:40

Pootles34 · 07/10/2025 15:33

I don't really want to celebrate money thanks! Much rather celebrate kindness, creativity or intelligence.

As to the 100k childcare thing - those of us lucky enough to earn that don't need assistance, it's not about deserving.

This.

I have always earned reasonable money but I don't feel the need to flaunt it like many do.

kindness, education and decency are far more important. Too many people with a lot of money can be arrogant, ignorant or selfish and don't deserve respect despite their bank balances.

Having worked for a trading bank with very wealthy individuals, I'd far rather spend time with some of the school teachers I know. Better conversation, more original thought, funnier humour.

SeaAndStars · 07/10/2025 17:41

If British people hate anyone making good money how to you account for the cult of celebrity, the revering of mega rich footballers and musicians, the fact that many of us traipse off to look around the houses of the aristocracy on our weekends off, the support for the royal family etc?

Kendodd · 07/10/2025 17:42

BarbarasRhabarberba · 07/10/2025 17:35

I actually think it’s disgusting that we as a nation have reached a point of such economic disparity that we now have to be “proud” of “achieving” a secure home which should be a basic right accessible to everyone. I say this as a homeowner who bought without help.

Yes, completely agree. We need massively more council housing accessible for ordinary working people.

Absentosaur · 07/10/2025 17:44

SadOldLadyOfTheLowlands · 07/10/2025 16:00

Most people on MN support the fact that anyone making over 100k shouldn't get free funded hours or child benefit as if their DC don't deserve anything.

If someone is on over 100k, why should they get free childcare?

And if 2 people are on 99k each - why Should They get free child care but one person on 100k does not get free child care?

Absentosaur · 07/10/2025 17:45

Kendodd · 07/10/2025 17:42

Yes, completely agree. We need massively more council housing accessible for ordinary working people.

Does ‘working people’ mean anybody that works?

Luckyingame · 07/10/2025 17:50

YANBU, OP!
And please, I'm not "lucky" or "fortunate" to have a very comfortable life.
It was a combination of had work, brains and self discipline/endurance when younger.

Kendodd · 07/10/2025 17:51

Absentosaur · 07/10/2025 17:45

Does ‘working people’ mean anybody that works?

Yes

midgetastic · 07/10/2025 18:06

Luckyingame · 07/10/2025 17:50

YANBU, OP!
And please, I'm not "lucky" or "fortunate" to have a very comfortable life.
It was a combination of had work, brains and self discipline/endurance when younger.

Yes many people with those didn’t get the lucky break that you don’t realise you got

i I got a lucky break - I have brains, I worked hard, but people I went to school with had those and didn’t get the lucky break. Or they had some special bad luck - a serious illness in their mid 20s for example that knocked them right back

its not all you and it comes across as arrogant and belittling of others if you can’t recognise you need luck alongside everything else

Gruffporcupine · 07/10/2025 18:07

taxguru · 07/10/2025 15:29

A lot of it is jealousy. Far too many people in the UK hate successful people because of the green eyed monster. Rather than try to improve themselves, they want to drag everyone else down to their level.

All of this

HeddaGarbled · 07/10/2025 18:08

It’s their bizarre tendency to think they’re hard-done-by.

twistyizzy · 07/10/2025 18:09

Kendodd · 07/10/2025 17:42

Yes, completely agree. We need massively more council housing accessible for ordinary working people.

Urgh "ordinary working people" 🤮🤮
Who EXACTLY do you mean? Anyone who works? Or just the right type of workers?

twistyizzy · 07/10/2025 18:11

Kendodd · 07/10/2025 17:51

Yes

So every single person who is on PAYE is entitled to a council house? Those on 150K? 500K? 50K? 40K?
What's your cut off?

Neemie · 07/10/2025 18:13

Because there is an engrained belief that no one should get above themselves and anyone who is successful is just fortunate. Even many successful people pretend they drifted into their highly competitive job on a cloud of their own genius. They don’t mention working their arse off for years, weeping over failures or feelings of anxiety that the competition might be better. Therefore people think rich people landed on their feet and deserve to be brought down to earth.

Peridoteage · 07/10/2025 18:14

Why do British people hate anyone making decent money or doing entrepreneurship?

The trend for owning property to rent I would not class as entrepreneurship. People don't like it because:

  • it drives up demand for property and contributes to inflated prices
  • high rents are profit seeking and impoverish the people to whom you rent
  • its quite passive. Basically capitalist economics says you should earn profit for having started off rich enough to own property and rent it to others.... a lot of people dislike this as a means of keeping the rich rich at the expense of social mobility.
LittleYellowQueen · 07/10/2025 18:15

Newusernameeeee · 07/10/2025 15:23

I have lived in US and the culture is so different there, entrepreneur and money is celebrated there and they have such different relationship to wealth and success.

How's that working out for them?

Crapbag77 · 07/10/2025 18:15

Because for people actually struggling it’s tactless and offensive. Nothing to do with jealousy, just people reacting to rudeness and lack of self awareness. If you’re earning 100k, you’re not struggling. It’s like saying how upset you are you can’t afford a 4th child in a room full of women who can’t conceive. Just shut up about it, or be a dick.

TheSeventh · 07/10/2025 18:19

I'm not sure if I get you. If someone says they earn a high wage and are struggling, you think we should celebrate that? That sounds even worse than telling them they're tone deaf.

PhuckTrump · 07/10/2025 18:20

Newusernameeeee · 07/10/2025 15:32

As of 2024/2025, there are approximately 23.8 million millionaires in the U.S. and around 3.1 million in the U.K.

Are the US millionaires dollar millionaires, and the UK millionaires pound millionaires? The dollar is worth less, so it’s easier to become a dollar millionaire.

Would be interesting to see if these statistics are adjusted to one currency.

Jamesblonde2 · 07/10/2025 18:21

You’re not wrong OP. I think it’s weird. A lot of jealousy in the UK, yet people doing well and warning well is celebrated in the USA. Odd.

Onegingerhead · 07/10/2025 18:27

I absolutely don’t hate anyone, I’d just really love to earn £100K myself. My brain is constantly on the lookout for opportunities.
I’d never wish anyone to earn less just because they happen to make more than I do (if you see what I mean). Equally, people can struggle even on what looks like an “extremely comfortable” salary on paper. It doesn’t automatically mean they’re living the life of Riley.

PhuckTrump · 07/10/2025 18:28

midgetastic · 07/10/2025 18:06

Yes many people with those didn’t get the lucky break that you don’t realise you got

i I got a lucky break - I have brains, I worked hard, but people I went to school with had those and didn’t get the lucky break. Or they had some special bad luck - a serious illness in their mid 20s for example that knocked them right back

its not all you and it comes across as arrogant and belittling of others if you can’t recognise you need luck alongside everything else

Agreed. I too worked hard through school and have always put in over and above the hours at my job.

However…I went to a decent school in a decent catchment area, had parents who helped me with homework, had a desk in my bedroom, always had a full belly, was frequently taken to the library to borrow loads of books, and was asked WHERE I was going to uni rather than WHETHER I was going to uni. And I have two bright parents, so was born with a relatively high IQ. None of those circumstances are down to “me”.

Swipe left for the next trending thread