Can you imagine having more money than you can actually spend? Well, that’s the reality for most of the affluent. Rich people have hobbies, too, just like regular people, but the difference is what recreational activities they prefer doing and where they do it.
While we spend some of our days drinking and appreciating wine, they own a whole vineyard; while we enjoy and let loose at a club, they own clubs—with exclusive VIP girls to boot.
Without a doubt, rich people are on a whole different level, and if you’re curious about their lifestyle, here are ten of the most common recreational activities that only the upper class can relate to.
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1. Travel the World
These days, more and more people can afford to travel to different cities or countries—whether for business or recreational purposes. There are various reasons for this: there are times when airlines offer plane tickets at discounted rates, and the same goes for some hotels and tourist spots. Nevertheless, regular people can’t afford constant traveling in a year, but we can’t say the same for the affluent.
Rich people have all the time and money in the world to spend weeks or months traveling without breaking a sweat. It’s not just your average vacation either; they get to experience everything in first class, from airline tickets to hotel rooms.
2. Go Skiing
When we think of wealthy people, many of us would immediately associate them with skiing—and there’s a truth in this. The concept of skiing has been around for a fairly long time, but it didn’t start as a hobby or a recreational sport. Skiing functioned more as a means of transport back then and later became a valuable tool in military operations during the winter.
However, skiing has evolved into what it is today, and many of the rich and famous love this outdoor activity. In fact, some of them even have their very own ski resorts, where they can exclusively ski to their heart’s content.
3. Philanthropy
Philanthropy is yet another habit that’s most common among wealthy people. In fact, sources claim that more than 50% of the world’s richest people invest their time and money in charity. There are a plethora of charitable foundations out there, and you’ve probably heard some of them before.
For instance, Bill and Melinda Gates started the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which helps fund research on treatments, vaccines, and anything health-related. There’s also George Soros, who began the Open Society Foundation, which now operates across 120 countries. This foundation focuses on economic equity, anti-discrimination, and the like.
4. Drive Race Cars
There will always be adventurous, thrill-seeking junkies out there, no matter the financial situation. In other words, yes, even rich people want to get their adrenaline pumping, and one common hobby they do to experience this is drive race cars. A few rounds on the racetrack while driving a speedy and high-performing vehicle can surely get anyone’s blood pumping.
You might be wondering why this is considered a rich people hobby. Well, being on a racetrack for even just a few minutes can seriously cost a lot of money—even reaching up to $1000.
5. Play Golf
It has probably become a stereotype at this point, but rich people genuinely love to play golf, especially the older ones who have a lot of free time up their sleeves. Many people may find this boring, but others think it’s a calming sport. However, what makes golfing a hobby for the affluent lies in the fact that rich people prefer to play golf in exclusive and high-class golf clubs with membership fees that can soar sky-high.
Sure, anyone can play golf at a regular course for a fun weekend, but only the rich will find the top golf courses around the world. Not to mention that they won’t be using cheap clubs. Since the upper class enjoys golf so much, this has become a business sport as well, allowing rich businessmen to kill two birds with one stone. As a matter of fact, statistics show that about 40% of executives and business owners meet and talk business with other executives over a game of golf.
6. Fly a Plane
Traveling on a plane is one thing but learning how to fly and actually owning one are on completely different spectrums. Many kids dream of becoming a pilot one day, and they later grow up and earn the funds or resources to achieve that dream. For rich people, though, this dream can quickly and easily become a reality.
Earning a Private Pilot License (PPL) usually costs around $10,000 at the very least, and if you want your own plane, you’ll have to spend even more for even a very basic model.
7. Own a Horse
The rich and famous are also known for owning horses, or specifically, they enjoy equitation during their free time. Other than that, horses can also be used for other pastimes like polo. If you have a lot of money to blow, buying a horse is nothing.
Renowned people like Steven Spielberg and Robert Redford are only some of the famous names who own horses.
8. Start a Collection
Collecting things isn’t exclusive to the rich; anyone can collect anything, really—stickers, stamps, books, etc. But once again, it’s different for rich people because they prefer to collect luxurious and expensive items, such as antiques, art and paintings, wine, car, watches, and more.
As a matter of fact, studies state that a percentage of rich people—specifically 38%—collect various items based on whatever they’re interested in. There are even those who enjoy collecting exotic animals as pets, which, as you can imagine, costs a ton of money.
Conclusion
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what rich people do during their spare time, we hope this article was able to answer your question for you. The rich and famous also have hobbies and preferred recreational activities just like us, but thanks to the fact that they have a lot of extra money to blow, they’re on a completely different playing field.
