Forbes is clearly keeping up with the Kardashians, so much so that the magazine figured out that Kylie Jenner is not quite the self-made billionaire they were led to believe, and that her cosmetics business is not as massive or as profitable as she and her family claim. Subsequently, she was dropped from their billionaires’ list even though at $900 million which she’s now reportedly worth, she’s still filthy rich and just a couple of millions short — and remember she’s only 22 years old. She has plenty of time to hit the billionaire mark for real next time! And let’s also not forget that she has some diehard fans who may decide to prove a point to Forbes and buy up even more of her cosmetics, and in a couple of months, she could be right back on that list that the 99 per cent of us only get to read about. So I don’t feel bad for her at all. She’s a millionaire many times over while I’m yet to make my first $1 million, and realistically speaking, I don’t even see that happening, unless I win the lottery or something! Even her daughter Stormi’s toy collection alone is worth more than what many regular people make their entire lives, so I doubt that not being part of the Billionaires’ Club is causing her sleepless nights. I was thinking though. Don’t most rich people overstate their net worth anyway? Even if it’s not them inflating or exaggerating their value, their close friends, family or even wider public will do the hyping for them. When someone attains a certain level of success, “relatives” pop out of the woodwork and others will tell you they went to school together! Even broke people brag about non-existent wealth. Who doesn’t know someone who swears their car or house cost more than it actually did? Or that their kids attend a prestigious school and pay a certain amount in tuition? What they don’t tell you is that they struggle to raise the fees! It’s called ‘keeping up appearances’ and the reason we’re often surprised when those we thought were doing well come to us for help. And we have these skewed notions and perceptions about wealth. You assume that rich people move around with wads of cash — and some do — but others don’t feel the need to. For one, it would make them an easy target for robbers but it’s also not smart for the financially astute and disciplined, as it encourages impulsive spending, and that doesn’t do much for those who want to grow their money. I don’t have any stinking rich family members or friends, but growing up, we had some relatives who had relatively decent jobs. An uncle who worked with one of the top banks, an aunt who practiced dentistry, that kind of thing, and they weren’t rich by any means but they were considered well-off in our circles. They probably would have gone on to make some good money if we their extended family weren’t such a drain on their resources. Everybody who had problems with their teeth went to my aunt’s clinic and expected free treatment, just like my uncle became the designated financial/loan provider and you know how relatives just don’t pay back. It’s different with the Kardashians as the whole family is successful and your money is your money. I mean who isn’t doing well in that family? Every project they take on somehow takes off, thanks to their legion of fans but you also see all the family members trying to pull their weight. I think that’s one lesson we can learn from them. The other siblings could have sat back and basked in Kim Kardashian’s fame but they each went on to pursue their own individual projects. Kylie with her cosmetics line, Kendall with her modelling, even Rob who we don’t hear much about had a sock and pyjama line at some point. That way, you’re not all looking to one person to pull you out of poverty, and these people weren’t even poor to begin with. It’s nice to help friends and family but that’s also what bankrupts most businesses.
