Do you have preconceptions about rich people?

Most wealthy anonymous donors to charity have no problem doing it. They usually set up charitable trusts or make all their donations conditional upon total anonymity.

I am involved in a local cause that has received very substantial sums of money from a wealthy individual whose name is known only to the Trustees of the charity. Should any official body like the Charity Commission or Inland Revenue ask for information it can be given, and indeed they both probably do know, but as far as others are concerned the donor is entirely anonymous.

I would need to know how a self-made person had made their money - if it was from drug-dealing or insider trading I would not admire them.

Of course we won't know about those who give anonymously but then perhaps that means they won't have done it in the most efficient way. You have to give your name and address to claim gift aid so being anonymous would seem to me to be short sighted.

I suspect the OP was trying to redress the balance against all those who seem to feel there is something wrong with being rich or making money.

What about rich people who choose to give money anonymously? How will the Sunday Times know about their giving.

laidback

I see what you are saying.
If you have got no family etc. money will probably not make you happy.
It is however nice to have money to buy the granddaughters treats without having to worry about paying for them.
Also you could have a situation where somebody has a £30,000 per annum pension at 60 with little capital or somebody with £500,000 with little pension.
Assuming they both have nice houses etc the one with a £30,000 pension may be richer if he lives to 100.

Frank

I agree laidback and those who 'feel' rich give of themselves in anyway they can.

How does one classify rich, anyway? I would say we are comfortable, which would be classed as rich by some but I can feel very 'poor' compared to some people.

It sure rates up there with oxygen .

You are right laidback but it certainly comes in handy when the bills arrive

You don't need money to be 'Rich'

cathy

You say that you admire people that have become rich through their own efforts!!.

I would say in our family that we are not rich but very comfortable due to a build up through the generations.

My great grandparents lived in council property. My grandparents got a private terrace house and then a semi and my father got a 4 bedroom dethatched property.
It was similar on my wife's side.

I went to London and got a house which was higher in value than my parents house because of the area but it was not as nice and came to live with my father after getting early retirement in London and inheriting my mothers half.

My in laws left their estate to my daughters and my wife left some of her share of our estate to them.

They are married and their husbands family are similar and they are improving on what previous generations have done.

Franl

gillybob how predictable

He is and was a great support to me through my DH's illness

sunseeker he sounds an amazing man!!!

One of the richest people I know is a Doctor, he designed some equipment for use in surgery and has made a fortune from it, until he recently retired he worked up to 60 hours per week in the NHS, refusing to take private patients, he is in his 70s and only retired because his wife has been diagnosed with cancer.

Rich people are from every walk of life and so are all very different, but I do very much admire people tat have become rich through their own efforts!!

I wondered how long it would be.

Several people have misconceptions about my wealth in particular my father's ex's supporters and I am not saying I am not comfortable.
According to them I have £10,000,000.00 in the bank.
I wish that was true.

Frank

I do appreciate that Galen the remark was meant to be taken as a joke.

According to the list too, Martin Lewis, he of Martin's money saving tips donated £60m to charity last year. Three cheers for the wealth and job creators

There are a lot of very poor pele in the channel isles as well as rich.

Funny thing is Sel the islands elderly are probably all in a similar position to him and all loaded !

Interesting jane. I think there are people of a similar mind set here too. One hears of the old man who dies living in apparent poverty only to leave £x million in his will. Maybe they're worried about relatives

And gillybob yes, I agree. I've certainly found that from my own experience.

The article in The Times was prompted by the report that a tycoon (semi tycoon now as he's 76!) living on Jersey, who has given £100 of Co-op vouchers to every Jersey resident over 70, has now decided to leave his £100m fortune to the island's elderly.

I try not to have pre-conceptions about anyone Sel
Perhaps slightly off-topic, many years ago I worked in a low-cost dental clinic in Hongkong. The Chinese dentist who ran it warned me not to feel sorry for any old people coming in who might give the apprearance of being poor.
He said this was a deliberate ploy not to appear rich, in the hopes that we would feel generous and undercharge them.
A common sight in the Chinese banks was wizened old Chinese women in drab traditional dress, old slippers on their feet, fishing inside their cheongsams and extracting large wads of cash to pay in to their accounts. Being illiterate, frequently they had a seal to use instead of a signature.