‘Middle-class’ man’s post on India’s top 1% lifestyle sparks buzz: ‘Each car worth ₹50 lakh’
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‘Middle-class’ man’s post on India’s top 1% lifestyle sparks buzz: ‘Each car worth ₹50 lakh’
Anonymous Reddit user shared story of a lavish gathering at the home of a lawyer. He described posh, dust-free, tree-lined neighbourhoods, valet parking for guests. He ended by asking others to share their brushes with India’s wealthiest. The post quickly gained traction, with many chiming in with their own jaw-dropping experiences. The top 1% in India is thought to be the top 0.01% of the country’s population, according to a recent study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D), which looked at income inequality in the country from a macro-level perspective. The study found that the richest 1% spend at least ₹2–3 lakh per month on basic lifestyle expenses like food and parties.
Posting in the r/AskIndia subreddit, the user, who described himself as middle-class, wrote: “I recently went to a birthday party of a lawyer’s son. Being from a middle-class family, I was never exposed to this much luxury. The 1% world is really different.”
He described the experience as one drenched in opulence: posh, dust-free, tree-lined neighbourhoods, valet parking for guests, and a fleet of luxury vehicles. “He resides in a posh area without dust and full of greenery, valets for guest parking, five cars each worth upwards of ₹50 lakh, businessmen, politicians bringing gifts, and a very different Hindi accent,” the post continued.
‘Luxury cars, lavish parties, ₹ 30 lakh handbags’
He ended by asking others to share their brushes with India’s wealthiest. The post quickly gained traction, with many chiming in with their own jaw-dropping experiences.
“I managed to study in one of the top NCR schools. Befriended a guy since a young age, went to his house for a night stay when I was like 10 — he lives in a mansion in South Delhi with eight cars in his driveway. Had around 10 butlers catering to the joint family living across those 4–5 floors,” shared one user.
Another remarked on how skewed income inequality has become in India: “I think most people don’t realise that if you have a good home, a vehicle to travel in, and regular meals, you’re already very close to the top 1% in India. What you saw was probably the top 0.01%.”
A third user described the extravagant lifestyles of their “super duper rich” friends: “I have many friends who are super duper rich. They travel abroad every fourth week and have exuberant weddings every year, at least 5–7 destination weddings, with at least one celebrity performance mandatory. They gift friends and family items worth at least ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh. They spend at least ₹2–3 lakh per month on basic lifestyle expenses like food, parties, and hanging out. Shopping alone costs another ₹2–3 lakh a month. They buy new bags every few months, starting from ₹2 lakh and going up to ₹5–6 lakh… some even ₹20–30 lakh. They keep hosting expensive parties every other week at their home or farmhouse for no reason. Most have 5–10 staff at home, but some I know have 20–30 helpers. Salaries for household staff alone come to ₹2–3 lakh monthly.”