The letters/comments thread is predicable. Distinctly lacking sympathy!

Some comments go to "if you're providing this service and blab to the media you're doing neither yourself nor your clients a favour"

Overall putting to one side the narcissistic and fatuous elements, there's no doubt trust issues and happiness issues are a problem for many super wealthy people. But as many pundits and comedians have said being rich makes being unhappy a hell of a lot easier.

I've read a thread either here or on reddit about high net worth (HNW) peoples approaches to life problems. Being able to angst about which helicopter to take and simply buying a replacement for anything (friends included?) You lose. But also some stunningly unexpected "don't know how" outcomes, for kids who have never had to cope without money thrust into situations where doing it, not buying it is the whole point. And of course, distrust in others is fuelled by people who exploit the asymmetry in wealth.

I've never met a modern super-HNW but I've met some in times past when $26m was a lot of money and they were perfectly civil, civilised individuals who did what they wanted with low impact on other people (artists, scotland) I suspect I was young enough to miss nuances of trust and belief on their part regarding what I wanted from them or brought to the table.

The ordinary HNW FAANG I meet are fine. When it's only about owning two Teslas and a share in a private island it's easier to relate to their problems and since most of them (the ones I meet anyway) continue to work out of the pleasure of things done, it's possible to have a mutuality which transcends the wealth gap.

I have met quite a few poor landed gentry. They are weird, but it's less about cash-money conspicuous consumption and more about an eternal battle with the drains, rising damp, and farm issues. Being cash poor in a freezing cold 25 room listed mansion you can't use except for the kitchen and one grotty loo is surprisingly common. It's no wonder they want to flog their Rubens sketch to the highest bidder, national treasure or not.