Why Do the Rich Sue So Often?

Our friend Ben down in Australia sent a link to a question and answer forum called Quora and the question for the day was "What do rich people do for fun?" One of the answers that popped up was from Brandon Smietana who's list included "Suing People".

Putting aside my own laughter, the truth is that rich people are always and forever going to court for one damned reason or another. It seems that everyone wants to sue them to get some of their money, and likewise the rich seek to accumulate even more wealth by going after someone else with deep pockets.

Just off hand I'd say that suing among the rich is like a game of chess - except that's entirely too intellectual for most of them. It's more like a game of table tennis, slamming the ball back and forth until someone freezes up. For the rich, going to court is not unlike going to Las Vegas: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose - but since you're so insanely rich, it doesn't really matter either way.

I'd also mention that most rich people have law firms on retainer. So it usually doesn't cost much extra to tell them to get off their lazy butts and sue somebody! One favorite game seems to be doing a renovation to the house, agreeing to the bid (including a 20% cost overrun) but then finding dozens of reasons due to faulty or shoddy work to get the final price down. Faced with costly and time consuming lawsuits, the poor contractors almost always cave. In fact, I know of a man who threatened to sue his own attorneys because he lost too much in his divorce proceedings.

I don't know about other rich people but around here my employer has a specific wardrobe for going to court. Usually he appears in public in a fine-tailored bespoke suit (ranging from $25,000 to $75,000) as any gentleman would.

But if he comes downstairs in one of his cheap ill-fitting polyester suits from Walmart or the Men's Warehouse, we know exactly where he's going for the day. In addition, he leaves off his Patek Philippe and wears some godawful fifty-dollar watch from Walgreen's. Apparently whether suing or being sued, it's best not to look too well moneyed in court, right?

I hope this has shed some light. Being rich has it's own unique set of problems, and going to court is just part of the norm. For us, the house staff, it means the old man will be out of our hair for the day, if not several days running. So we don't mind one bit!

As always, thanks for dropping in this evening,

Andrew

Dinner Fit For A Queen!

I ran across something today and can't wait to share it with you!

If you've been reading for awhile you may remember I've already written a few articles about fine dining in America - like how we set a proper table here in the States, and the confusing number of eating utensils that rich people are fond of using.

But what I'm about to share makes my pitiful attempts pale in comparison to what's going on in Britain!

Thanks to a Twitter tweet by the British Royals, this article in The Daily Telegraph simply blows me away. It describes in minute detail how a state dinner at Buckingham Palace is organized and executed - step by painstaking step.

As mentioned in the last post we usually have three or four months notice before huge events or galas are scheduled around here - which gives us plenty of time to get our act together,

But can you imagine a state dinner that takes one full year in preparation? It gives me a headache just to think about it and makes me grateful I work for a simple-minded klutzy billionaire here in the States.

If you're the least bit interested in this kind of rigorous detail and grandeur, here's a link to the July 24, 2015 article in The Telegraph. It's absolutely absorbing in terms of history, social propriety, and the massive amount of work involved!

As always, thanks for dropping by this evening,

Andrew