Inside the lives of America’s anxious wealthy people

Rich people claim they’re part of the “middle class” and lead “simple lives.”

Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you feel that way.Stuart C. Wilson/Getty

“These people sometimes characterized themselves explicitly as ‘in the middle’ when referring to those above them,” Sherman writes.

“Here ‘middle-income’ signals a spending style, not a dollar amount.”

One woman with a household income of $3 million told Sherman her family is “just normal.”

“I live modestly, I mean, I don’t have jewels. . . . There’s no flash. We’re just normal. I mean, in my world, it’s not flashy. To somebody that lives in a trailer park, I don’t know. But we live a fairly simple life,” she said.

Source: Uneasy Street: The Anxieties of Affluence