First
there were the Rich Kids of Instagram, and now the privileged youth
have taken their shameless oversharing to another popular app -
Snapchat.
Launched by a 17-year-old boy from the UK, Rich Kids of Snapchat is a Facebook page offering a glimpse into the luxurious lifestyles of a group of teens and 20-somethings.
The
pictures on the site are of sports cars, private jets, luxury goods and
lavish homes, all with captions revealing the kids' nonchalant attitude
to money.
Living the life: First there were the Rich Kids
of Instagram, and now the privileged youth are flaunting their wealth on
Rich Kids of Snapchat (pictured: a snap from the page)
Take a peek: Launched by a 17-year-old boy from
the UK, Rich Kids of Snapchat is a Facebook page offering a glimpse into
the luxurious lifestyles of a group of teens and 20-somethings
The page was started by an anonymous teen who, according to his spokesperson, began trading equities and commodities at the age of 12, and now is enormously wealthy.
He
invites people to add his handle, RIchKidSnaps, on Snapchat so that he
can send them pictures from his own lavish lifestyle, and he also
accepts snaps from the equally rich, which then go on his Facebook and Instagram pages.
To
get their pictures online, people send their snaps to the RichKidSnaps.
The manager of the account then filters through them and posts the best
ones on the internet.
Some
of the images make fun of the less wealthy, referring to them as
'peasants'. One such snap shows a person drawing the Chanel logo onto a
pair of well-worn espadrilles. 'How scholarship kids fit in,' reads the
caption.
Pricy presents: One Rich Kid shows off their
receipts for an £11,250,000 Rolex watch, which they got for much cheaper
thanks to a VERY generous gift card
Over the top: One of the Rich Kids feeds their dog Laurent Perrier champagne
In
another picture, a Louis Vuitton shoe bag is stuck onto the ceiling,
covering a smoke alarm. The caption says: 'How to smoke safely in your
dorm'.
A
number of the photos show just how expendable pricy products are to
these youths. An iPhone, for instance, is used to stabilize a chair with
uneven legs, and an iPad is used to slice a chocolate cake.
Rich Kids of Snapchat was launched in
the UK last fall, catering to boarding school and university students
with a penchant for compulsive spending.
Shopping spree: To get their pictures on the
page, people send their snaps to the Rich Kids account owner, who posts
the best ones - like this collection of designer bags - online
Traveling in style: Much of the page shows how these youths get around in private jets and yachts
Now,
after infiltrating the UK private school system and amassing nearly 250,000 'likes', the account apparently has
set its sights on the U.S., starting with the students at University of
Southern California in Los Angeles.
According to the Daily Trojan,
Rich Kids recently sent out a message on Snapchat claiming they were
coming to the private university in the fall, and the news was not taken
very well.
'This could be a potential black mark for the university,' says student writer Charlotte Chang.
Charlotte goes onto to explain that the
school has recently been trying to distance itself from its reputation
of being the 'University of Spoiled Children'.
Eenie meenie: A boy takes his pic between a selection of red Ferraris
Popular: The site, which has nearly 250,000 'likes', was initially catered to the UK private school system
Spreading: Rich Kids will apparently infiltrate the U.S. this fall, starting at University of Southern California
She
concludes the piece: 'The blow-up of this Rich Kids phenomenon is not
only an indication of growing materialism, but also a rise in hypocrisy
in society's standard ethical values.'
A representative for Rich Kids has denied that there are any plans to come to California.
Nevertheless,
our fascination with how the other half lives is undeniable. In 2012, a
Tumblr page called Rich Kids of Instagram took the internet by storm.
The page
even inspired a reality TV show called Rich Kids of Beverly Hills,
starring five of the uber-wealthy 20-somethings who gained notoriety
from shamelessly flaunting their luxury lifestyles.The E! show is
returning for a second season on August 3.
Dispensable: A number of the photos show just how expendable pricy products are to these youths
Money in the bank: One person shows off their wallet loaded with cash
Extravagant: Rich Kids of Snapchat was inspired by Rich Kids of Instagram, which became the basis of a reality series
Today, in response to criticism he has faced, the Rich Kids of Snapchat founder wrote a post defending the Facebook page.
'It is
important to note that I would never, ever, judge someone based on their
wealth,' he stated. 'I created this page for entertainment purposes
only. I meant no offence whatsoever.'
He added:
'My Snapchat's sole purpose is to inspire other young people to go out
and achieve what they want to achieve. I show my extreme lifestyle so
that people can see that even me: someone who isn't especially
intelligent, and started with only £500 (when I was 12, I am now 17) is
able to achieve great things.'
Expensive tastes: Many of the captions reveal their nonchalant attitude to money
Acting superior: Some of the images make fun of the less wealthy, referring to them as 'peasants'
Defense: The founder of the page explained: 'My
Snapchat's sole purpose is to inspire other young people to go out and
achieve what they want to achieve'
He also wrote in an email to BuzzFeed that despite appearances, he is generous with his money, too.
'Understandably
it upsets people that I am spending money on unnecessary things, and
more importantly bragging about it,' reads the email.
'However I donate over 80% of my income
to charity. In fact my bank automatically sends 80% of any payment going
into my account directly to my charity holding account, which then gets
distributed to around 100 charities of my choose at the end of every
month.'
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