Do friends of rich people have no shame?

[NotDarkGothicMama]

Reading about the Epstein files, the first thing that struck me was the awful photo of Andrew kneeling over what looks like a very young woman, looking extremely pervy.

The second thing was the emails from people like Fergie and Peter Madelson's husband asking for money. "I need 20 grand for rent, today." "I need 10 grand for an osteopath course." Have they no shame whatsoever? Surely if you're friends with a rich person, you're very careful not to mention financial needs so they don't think you're only after their cash? Let alone actually ask for handouts!

There are definitely a tranche of the super rich and a tier or so below that who have some other power such as politicians, media etc, who think they can do whatever the hell they like and get away with it.

As many of them can! All these rich and powerful men, one person has been jailed and it was a woman. Look at Trump and Musk doing whatever they like and getting away with it.

I think there are strong parallels with Jimmy Saville albeit at a higher cash level. Lots of people knew there was something off about JE as they did with JS. But they didnt know details.

The only people who knew details were the victims and people who had been involved in some way. Even if only slightly. Guilt by association, guilt by silence.

Two were jailed. The man at the top and his female sidekick.

To be fair, at the other end of the scale, until recently we had rape gang organisers and users, and we still have prolific shoplifters and hordes of middle class fraudsters getting away with it because they can.

It seems to be human nature in many people to take what they can get away with unpunished. In the rich it's just so much more newsworthy, visible and interesting to watch happen.

Do you think they are aware of the immoral unconscionable things they are doing and get off on the fact that they won’t be caught? They can’t be so alien that they don’t know what they are doing is wrong or illegal. They probably just don’t believe they will get caught and face the music.

Royals are famous scroungers. Mandelson's always been the same, never enough cash. Just looking at who's receiving the most opprobrium and blame for involvement in the Epstein sludge right now. Maxwell, a Brit. Royal Andrew and wife, Brits. Mandelson, Brit. Branson, a Brit, mentioned. Hmm. Where's President Pigly and his mates in this? Seems to be a lack of the US contingent. All extremely sleazy and revolting. That pic of Andrew enough to chill the blood of anyone. Vile.

See even that I find odd. Like, if I were rich and famous I would assume that everything I did would be on show. Have a bad day and there's always someone there to see it and tell the world. And if you have a lot if money or power there's always someone happy to bring you down a peg or two. I mean, I wouldn't do any of this stuff anyway but I find it so bizarre that none of these dolts thought 'Oh, I'd quite like to do that really dodgy thing, but guaranteed it will get back to the press / police / my mum so I'd better not'. I suppose that's the entitlement, it's very difficult to understand if you don't work that way.

What are often referred to as "high net worth individuals" can be very very very cagey about their privacy. I occasionally do a little bit of work for a company that makes super yachts, and it's strictly no photos, no information shared about the builds- "these clients are very concerned about their privacy" kind of thing. And it just seems to be accepted that the very rich are entitled to a higher level of privacy in their affairs than you or I.

Yes, they've certainly thrown the British under the bus, haven't they?

(Presumably because they're not American rather than being specifically British).

Mandelson is turning out to be an utter creep on so many levels, isn't he. Giving govt emails to Epstein ?? If true, that's unforgivable. Surely a criminal offence.

A family members job brings them into contact with many of these people and she is certainly not positive about Peter M…

What makes you think he was told no? I didn't say the relative refused.

I thought it was well-known that Fergie never had any shame. I used to work for a very famous hair salon in the 1990s and I regularly chased her (and Paula Yates) for payment. She would just up sticks and grift somewhere else. Grifters have always got to grift.

I would be embarrassed but then I don't want to be beholden to anyone and I've got pride.

Yes it’s really looking like it’s just the small people who pay their bills and their taxes.

My old boss was a mega-millionaire. I don't think I ever thought to ask for anything above my salary.

I too find it very odd that the mega rich have all these leeches around them - and how utterly shameless the leeches are.

They get something in return though as pp notices. Eg access to bigger social circles etc it’s a transaction. A very grubby, low one.

What crime would he be in prison for?

Maybe that is where I went wrong - I had no social circle to offer my old wealthy boss....!

I read all this Epstien stuff and he is a different animal entirely but further down the chain SF AMW and PM..well I am embarrassed for them. We see you, we know exactly what you are. They of course will not be embarrassed.

Take a close look at the items on the table behind him. Amongst other things that are too difficult to make out you’ll see folded towels, a tube of cream and what I thought was a dildo (I’ve never seen one in real life) but I now know after being told on another thread is an anal dildo/butt plug with small winged handles.

To answer the OPs question, Epstein was a (dodgy) financial adviser and investment manager who based his operations in the Virgin Islands and he was in the business of providing money (mainly private equity) so the requests for cash are not as weird as they sound although these requests appear to be far more personal than professional!

I think these requests for cash are not what they appear to be. The way they are phrased, they are not directly asking for loans, they are possibly asking for their own funds to be liquidated from tax dodging accounts linked to the Virgin Islands operation. They have been framed as loans (this was a very common tactic for people who needed to bring money onshore), but they are nothing of the sort. These wealthy people have been hiding their money and Epstein is fronting it all. How do people think he got so wealthy. Quite apart from the pedeophilia and blackmail, he was unscrupulous in business too.

I can’t make out anything apart from possibly some towels

That's up to you, if you're desperate enough for them to like you. It's a bit sad though and doesn't teach your daughter much about friendship.

Harsh. They have been extremely generous to Dd over the years so got a thoughtful present she would genuinely like. It’s hard to be reciprocal when financial positions are so vastly different - but certainly do not want to be seen as any sort of freeloader like bloody Prince Andrew! .

This makes the most sense. Wealthy people needing to draw down funds for ‘x’ reason as opposed to just hitting up Epstein for casual loans for personal expenses.

I’d feel like a pervert if I told you where to look on the photo so I’m not going to.

The items are there though - in plain view.