The subtle signs that mean you are wealthy in Australia in 2025

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

While there may be exceptions, true wealth in Australia rarely shouts - it whispers.
Forget the Lamborghini revving through the suburbs and the flashy watch, the real markers of money Down Under are far more subtle but easy to spot if you know what to look for.
This was a topic raised on a popular finance forum, where an Aussie worker asked fellow men and women how to tell if someone is 'quite wealthy but not showing it'.
'I lived next door to someone who had a multi-portfolio of properties yet they drove a very average car and dressed similarly. You'd never guess it,' they wrote.
And this, it seems, was the common thread, with many believing the community has a 'unique dislike for wealthy people' and 'glorify the rich who act poor'.
These are the most common signs listed by more than 2,000 locals - and prove being 'rich' is most often about the confidence of understatement.
One man put it best when he quoted basketball star Charles Barkley.
'When the bills come in, you just pay them. You never complain about how much it is,' he said.
This trait was unanimous among the thread, with 'very little stress, being chill, and never talking about the cost of living' mentioned more than anything else.
'My well-off friends never mention the cost of living or talk about what they are being paid at work. For the rest of us, whining about money is half of our personalities these days,' one confessed.
'It actually prompted me to better myself when I realised it was often all I talked about when catching up with people and I was probably boring them to death.'
'My ex-girlfriend came from proper old money and if you didn't visit her house or look very closely at her clothes, you wouldn't know,' another echoed.
'The biggest giveaway was that if you did anything that involved money with her like going grocery shopping or going out for dinner she very obviously didn't even think about the price.'
They have very casual clothes and humble possessions
This was the second most common answer, with many believing those with 'true wealth' hid it behind a humble exterior and 'quiet confidence'.
'My dad was a multi-millionaire when that term was special. He always wore daggy stubbies and a short sleeve shirt; he haggled a fair bit,' one man wrote.
'He reckoned when you dress up and talk big people will usually increase the bill. I think he was onto something there. He died rich.'
Another agreed, specifically citing regional Queensland as a place where this is rife.
'You'll find heaps of this kind of multi-millionaire here,' he claimed.
'They live in an average house, dress daggily and are poorly groomed but have a business or well-paid nine-to-five... but have net worths in the tens of millions and no longer need to work if they don't want to.'
This, many concluded, is the 'choice of many of the wealthy' - especially when it comes to homes and cars.
'My mate's dad is stinking rich,' a man shared.
'He drives around in plain Hyundai (brand new and paid in full). He doesn't want to be robbed and doesn't like eyeballs on him and he likes the freedom of being able to park where he pleases.'
Another said his former boss owned 30-40 properties, a luxury resort and a multi-million dollar home in Cairns but would only buy Kmart shoes and clothes on special.
'His wife drove an old Mazda 626, he drove an [old] Land Cruiser and when he stayed at the resort he would eat out of the staff food leftovers.
'Money talks, wealth whispers'.
They take their time
Many agreed that those who are wealthy really do 'stop and smell the roses' and often lack the rushed city mindset.
'They take their time reading the newspaper at the café and they have a relaxed stroll,' one claimed.
'They're happy on a regular Tuesday.'
Another said a sign of wealth is 'valuing time over the cost of things'.
'Because no successful billionaire has ever bought time back - and even if they could invent a time machine, they'd also need to discover reverse ageing,' she said.
They don't deal with things themselves
'I've dealt with some very rich and influential people in Aus. For me this is one of the telltale signs: not dealing with things themselves,' a woman wrote.
'Pick a car, have someone else organise the sale, make the transfer, set up the insurance, organise collection and drop it off at their home or office.'
Another agreed, saying his wife handled the whole purchase of an BMW 8 series for her boss.
'All he did was sign the lease. Never went down there, didn't pick it up, didn't choose the options, didn't deal with the sales people. He just went to work one morning with his old car, and went home in his new one. He doesn't like it though, because it's not black like his old one,' he wrote.
They are savvy - not 'cheap'
One Aussie put it simply: 'They aren't cheap - they are cost effective'.
'Every single dollar spent is maximised. They also pay bills on time, assuming they don't need to be negotiated. They have nice things, but again usually go for value and quality as opposed to branding/marketing,' he wrote.
'Everyone assumes they drive a 20 year old sh*t box but generally that's not the case (at least millionaire millennials). They drive what they like, they're not flashy, but not low tier either.
'They are also extremely confident at work because they don't need the paycheck, which funny enough typically puts them in higher earning positions anyway.'
So, judging by this take, being wealthy in Australia isn't necessarily about price tags or parking spots out the front of flashy restaurants - it's measured in restraint.
The quiet luxury of time, space and choice carries more weight than any logo or status symbol.
To recognise it is to understand that the most powerful statement of all is not having to make one.