How To Make Millionaire Friends
If you want to become a millionaire, you’ve got to choose your friends wisely – but if you don’t know how to make millionaire friends, that might be a challenge.
All kinds of famous wealthy people, from Bill Gates to Warren Buffett, have argued the importance of choosing your friends wisely.
Studies, including those by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Ad Council show that nearly 80% of adults surveyed said they would make financial decisions based on the habits of their friends – and the odds of this increase the younger you are.
You shouldn’t have to go into debt to be friends with someone – and if you find yourself making poor financial decisions based on who your friends are, it might be time to rethink your friendships. Surround yourself with successful people who have similar financial and professional goals, and you’ll find that you’re way more successful, too.
Just as you wouldn’t invest your money in a failing stock, one of the best money tips you can follow is to invest your time in cultivating the right friendships.
Here are some tips on how to make millionaire friends so that you can forge relationships that will pay off in the long run.
How Do I Connect With Millionaires?
There are countless ways the average person can forge relationships with rich people. However, it’s important that you choose the opportunity that will allow you to present yourself in the most authentic, organic way.
While the best way to meet a rich person is to do so naturally, when you can be yourself, the opportunities below will help give you a few ideas of how you can make a conscious effort to connect with wealthy people.
Attend Networking Events and Award Ceremonies
Networking events are great places to meet rich people. Bonus point if the networking event is in your niche or the industry in which you work. From conferences to other types of events, this is a great way to connect with millionaires.
Award ceremonies, particularly industry award ceremonies, are also good options. Everyone wants to be recognized for the work they have done and these ceremonies tend to be frequented by people expecting to receive praise and awards. Most ceremonies, even the high-end ones, are open to the public as long as you buy a ticket.
This could very well be your ticket to success – consider buying a ticket and you’ll be able to get up close and personal with the rich and powerful. Bonus points if you attend an awards ceremony in your own niche – for example, a marketing ceremony if you work in marketing – or have your company host the party itself.
Provide Value
When you’re trying to make friends with rich people, it’s easy to become hyper-focused on what these other people can offer you. However, you should be focused on what you bring to the table.
Do you have something that they want?
Cultivating your own success so that you are a leader in the industry is one way to befriend the wealthy. Did you know that 80% of millionaires are first-generation millionaires? That means that they’re all exceptional at something that made it possible for them to accumulate their wealth.
If you become known as an expert in your field, you’ll quickly find that leaders seek you out – and often, those leaders are exorbitantly wealthy.
Perhaps your power isn’t knowledge but connections. If you can socially connect millionaires with other people they want to meet, it’s a great way to connect yourself with them, too.
You may even be able to offer a wealthy person more tangible items in return for their friendship. Perhaps you work in the hospitality industry and can get them VIP treatment at a local club. Maybe you are a writer for a magazine and can give a rich person exposure for their charity.
Whatever the case may be, consider what you have to bring to the table and leverage it in your quest to befriend the wealthy!
Interview Them
Successful people like to share their stories – it’s not always just an ego thing, either. They want to be able to share their knowledge with the world so that others can follow in their footsteps!
Give them the opportunity to do that by interviewing them. Do your research ahead of time, though, so you can flatter them (and impress them) with your knowledge.
Connect on Social Media
This one doesn’t always work – most wealthy people could care less about broadcasting their success all over the Internet. However, some do. In that case, you can use social media as an intel tool to figure out where these people go and what they do in their spare time – it’s not necessarily a technique to make new relationships on its own but can be used as a valuable research tool.
Go Where the Rich People Are
One of the easiest ways to make friends with wealthy people? Go directly to them. There are a few places where you are more likely to find a rich person – your odds probably aren’t as high at Walmart as they would be at the Ritz, for example.
Hedge your bets and check out these places.
Private Golf Courses
Golf is the game of the rich, they say – and the more money you have, the more likely you are to be found at a private golf club. Golf is expensive, after all – a single set of clubs might cost a few thousand dollars and to be a member at a fancy golf course, it could cost several times that.
So how are you supposed to meet a rich person at a private golf course if you can’t afford the membership? Simple – get a job there. As a caddie, you’ll get face time with players outside of work and be privy to some wealthy millionaires and their conversations at a personal level.
Ski Resorts
Skiing is another common hobby for the rich, and it’s a great way for you to make new friends who are financially savvy, too. Again, just like working as a caddie at a golf resort, working as a ski instructor is another great method of befriending people with hefty bank accounts.
Top Dollar Hotels and Bars
It’s a bit easier to meet rich people with this technique – many upscale bars, for example, are open to the general public. Just go in and have a drink!
If they aren’t, though, you can always get a job at a high-end hotel or bar, too. You can work as a bartender, concierge, or another job that provides you with access to some of the world’s wealthiest people – up close and personal.
Certain Cities
You don’t need to relocate across the country just to meet millionaires, but know that if you live in certain cities, your odds of meeting a wealthy person are much higher.
The best cities in which to meet a millionaire include London, Paris, Hong Kong, New York, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.
Gallery Openings
Wealthy people often buy art items for their homes or as collector’s items. Study up on art history and attend local gallery openings and museum events – these are great places to meet millionaires and often, you don’t even have to pay to get in.
Get Involved With a Charity
Wealthy people often enjoy giving their money to charitable causes. Many serve on nonprofit boards. If you can, get involved with a charity to meet wealthy people.
Write a check to a charity. Attend a fundraising event. Try to sit near the person you are trying to befriend. Bid in charity auctions, even though you’ll likely lose out to donors with deeper pockets.
What NOT To Do When Trying to Meet Rich People
While focusing on the advice above is a great way to get started in befriending the rich, you should also pay attention to what NOT to do.
The biggest mistake you can make is assuming that your new friend in these relationships will always cover the expenses. Sure, they can afford it – but they don’t want to feel like a public piggy bank. Most rich people actually enjoy saving money rather than squandering it all.
Insist on paying your share and when a rich person picks up the tab for you, do everything in your power to return the favor.
Protect your reputation at all costs. Make sure it’s clear why you’re trying to cultivate these relationships – for example, for business advice or mentorship rather than for personal financial benefit. Don’t resort to less than savory behaviors (like selling drugs) to get in with the rich and famous, either. It’s not worth sacrificing your reputation or your personal morals.
Final Thoughts: Making Millionaire Friends
The best way to build your own wealth is to make rich friends – after all, birds of a feather flock together, they say!
When you’re trying to meet rich friends, think of what you have to bring to the table. Also, know that simply “being a millionaire” isn’t the greatest qualifier for a friend. To become friends with the rich, you also need to consider what other things they bring to the table, too.
Are they kind? Generous? Interested in the same things you are? Consider your motives in befriending a wealthy person and make your connections accordingly. Do you want an investing mentor? Business mentor? Better political connections?
Being friends with a millionaire offers all sorts of benefits – you can get a role model, mentor, and pal all in one. However, I know that attempting to build a friendship with a millionaire is often a smart move. You’ll become who you surround yourself with – and who doesn’t want to be a millionaire?