In an era when many households carefully budget for essentials, a small group of people live with options most of us never imagine. A Reddit thread that drew thousands of responses recently asked about habits and purchases exclusive to the extremely wealthy. Readers shared firsthand accounts of arrangements that seem almost unbelievable yet are routine for those with vast resources. These stories reveal a parallel world where convenience, appearance, and time are managed in ways ordinary money cannot buy.
One striking example involves maintaining decorative swans on private estates. A billionaire reportedly grew frustrated when his swans began to molt and lost their elegant look. Instead of accepting the natural cycle, he turned to a specialized rental service that replaces the birds regularly. “He was disappointed when the swans started molting and looking disheveled. There is even a swan rental service that periodically changes them to always look impeccable,” one commenter explained.
Plant care reaches similar extremes for some collectors of rare orchids. Rather than wait months for a plant to bloom again, owners ship non-flowering specimens to professional nurseries. In return, they receive a fully blooming replacement immediately. “You send an orchid that isn’t blooming for professional care until it blooms again, and in the meantime, you get a replacement that is already blooming, so you always have blooming orchids at home,” the same thread noted.
Home libraries also reflect this level of customization. While most people buy books off the shelf, certain clients commission entire collections built from scratch. Specialized firms select titles to match a chosen theme, print them on acid-free paper, and bind them in leather for visual uniformity. These projects frequently cost several hundred thousand dollars, according to accounts shared online.
Time itself becomes a guarded commodity at the highest levels. One poster recalled working for a limousine company that served a Fortune 500 executive. When the car arrived thirty-five minutes late, the client’s travel team demanded the provider be blacklisted. The next day, the limo service owner was told the executive’s lost minutes were worth far more than the staff earned annually. “He said that the lost time of the executive director was worth more than what we earn in a year,” the employee wrote.
Education planning starts remarkably early and involves dedicated professionals. Families hire agents who travel globally to private-school fairs and match young children—sometimes only ten years old—to institutions that align with parental goals. These consultants handle multiple clients at once and earn commissions from the schools that accept the students.
Even major purchases skip traditional shopping entirely. Vendors bring full-scale options directly to residences for approval. In one Miami penthouse, contractors delivered several complete staircases so the owner could compare them in place before deciding. “Once I was in an incredible penthouse in Miami where they brought in multiple different staircases so the owner could choose which one he liked the most. It was crazy,” a witness recounted.
These examples illustrate how extreme wealth reshapes everyday realities. Appearance must remain flawless, whether for animals, plants, or interiors. Time is treated as the ultimate non-renewable resource, and convenience extends to having the world delivered rather than visiting it.
For context, individuals considered ultra-high-net-worth typically possess liquid assets exceeding $30 million. This group often relies on family offices and dedicated concierge firms that coordinate rare experiences and logistics invisible to the general public. Private banking divisions, exclusive membership clubs, and on-demand specialist networks further separate their daily lives from conventional constraints. While global wealth inequality continues to widen, these discreet services highlight the vast differences that substantial fortunes enable.
Which of these hidden luxuries surprised you most, or have you encountered others worth sharing in the comments?
