Have you ever thought about what you might do if you won the lottery? What exactly is it that rich people do with their money? Most, in fact, invest it in business, which is how a lot of them become that wealthy in the first place, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want the occasional luxury, and these are some of the things they love to splash out on.
Cars
Few things make an impression quite like a beautiful car. Bill Gates adores his incredibly rare Porsche 959 Coupe, and Larry Ellison owns a limited edition McLaren F1, which is not only one of the fastest free-roaming land vehicles ever made but also has what every car geek fantasises about: doors that open upwards. Being wealthy can also help with getting access to racetracks and to areas of open desert where you can drive as fast as you like.
Superyachts
Even with a good car, you can still find yourself stuck in traffic, but that’s not a problem out on the ocean. Yachts are a favourite with wealthy people who enjoy a bit of hands-on action and who like the idea of cruising around the world’s most exciting locations taking their own luxury accommodation with them. Lord Laidlaw’s superyacht is his pride and joy, and he’s passionate about sailing, even taking on some pretty serious challenges.
Aeroplanes
For those who really want to show off, there’s nothing like owning a private plane, though most don’t take the full-on approach that Roman Abramovich has with a gold interior in his Boeing 767-33A. Jackie Chan spent millions on an Embraer Legacy 650 jet painted on the outside with his signature dragon livery, and Mark Cuban invested in a Boeing 767-277, which is tall enough for his basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks, to stand up in.
Luxury goods
Some people prefer to enjoy their luxuries in day-to-day life, dining on white truffles and sipping 50-year-old Balvenie Speyside malt, or dressing in silk and scenting themselves with ambergris-based perfumes. Luxury shopping is a specialised activity in itself, taking place in the most exclusive districts of cities such as Paris or New York. Many wealthy people seek out items made valuable by their rarity, such as paintings by Old Masters or unique pieces of jewellery.
Travel
Everybody likes a good holiday, and if you’re rich, travel becomes not only about seeking out luxurious destinations but also about finding ones where your personal security can be guaranteed. This has led to the development of hotel chains that cater almost exclusively to the very wealthy, and to the establishment of luxury resorts in places such as Dubai, Zurich and the Côte d’Azur, supplying all those little extras to which the wealthy have become accustomed.
Even if you’re unlikely ever to become as wealthy as this, you may be able to enjoy one or two similar luxuries, and you can still engage in that other activity currently regaining popularity among the very rich: donating to charity.