“Shadow Jets”: 12 Things Poor People Probably Don’t Know Exist

Growing up, most of us thought that money existed to buy things and snacks. As we started to become independent, we began to learn about things ranging from insurance to dog-walking services. So if you think you have seen it all, keep reading. 

Someone asked, “Those who have worked for the rich, what is a product or service we would never guess exists?” and people shared their best examples. So if you have ever wondered, “What would I do if I was rich?” Now is your chance to update your notes. Be sure to upvote your favorites and share your ideas in the comments section. 

12 PHOTOS

#1

I worked in a house once in the fancy parts of Oslo, at the time I was a telecom technician and was called out to fix internet issues.
He had his main connection going into the basement and from there got split up to the rest of his house.

While working in the basement I noticed big tanks with the word VOSS on them, for you guys not familiar with VOSS it's a brand of super expensive "natural spring water" and I thought it was only sold on glass bottles in the store.

Suddenly this big a*s tanker truck comes up to the house and I see it says VOSS on the side of it and I see the trucker start pulling a hose out and connecting it to a pipe going into the house.
Of course, out of curiosity I go and ask the trucker what he was pumping into the guy's house.

Turns out VOSS offers a service where they send a plumber to disconnect the main pipes (except for floor heating, toilet, and some other pointless stuff) and set up refillable thanks instead which get connected to the house for basically everything, including shower, washing machines, sinks, dishwasher, basically, any water that gets in contacts with humans and they have level readers of the tanks and will send a truck automatically when they see the water level going low in the tanks.

Absolutely one of the most mind-boggling things I've ever witnessed, especially since I live in Norway which probably has one of the world's cleanest and tastiest waters I've ever come across directly from the sink.

#2

Shadow Jets. The empty private jet that follows your private jet everywhere so that if there's a delay or maintenance thing you don't have to wait or resort to flying in a charter. Yes, this is a thing. Some ultra-rich take 3 jets everywhere their jet, their shadow, and their cargo plane for cars.

#3

I used to walk dogs and the dog had his elevator to his apartment. Does that count?

In case some of these sound too far-fetched, it’s worth noting that kidnapping and ransom insurance is a sizable industry. While often we think of it as a service for rich families, a common use case is a company buying a policy for valued employees who have to travel to high-risk zones. Interestingly due to moral hazard and risks of fraud, some companies don’t tell the employee about the policy. 

Interestingly, it’s not actually that expensive on the face of things. Investopedia reports that many policies range from $500 to $2000. This is assuming the person is not a high-profile target and most of these policies have rules that make them void if you travel to high-risk areas. While this isn’t a negligible cost, it’s not nearly as unaffordable as it might seem. 

#4

The rich moms in my city hire people to get through every “unpleasant” milestone for their children. Did you know there are companies you can hire to potty train your kids? Or teach them how to ride a bike? There are even people they will hire to meet with their kids and find a sleep-away summer camp to match their kids’ personalities.

#5

You can get paid well (i.e. up to a million U.S. dollars) to NOT buy a private jet.

If you have ordered one (they can take years to get built), and yours is about to get built, someone can offer you $ for the build slot through slot brokers.

A big-time "line stander".

#6

I’ve made hats for a billionaire’s horse, just because they wanted to take cute selfies of their horse in weird hats. I also made hats out of literal reclaimed garbage that I’ve sold for thousands to the 1%. I’m sorta known in those sorta circles for my bizarre hat designs. Plus I treat my celeb & wealthy clients normally, with no b******t. So I got an established clientele base. Edit: I primarily make custom headwear for humans (primarily inspired by surrealism, CAMP, or drag). I’m Fab Hatters if anybody wants to check out some of my work.

#7

Hiring world-famous bands to play full sets for ambiance.
Was a waiter at an event where The Killers just casually played their entire back catalogue in the corner.

#8

Sat next to a guy on a plane who traveled the world creating holiday plans for ultra-wealthy clients. He had to go stay at each hotel to test them out and try the activities and everything. He loved travel and organizing anyway, so he just upgraded and got paid for it.

But after a few years, it got lonely because you’re always on the move and in new places.

#9

Line standers. Sometimes it’s unavoidable—you need to be in long a queue, and when your time comes, you need to be there yourself.

Enter line standers.

They just stand in lines for whoever pays them to hold a spot. When the line gets close, they call or text the person and tell them to come on down.

That’s the whole gig.

#10

I worked for a mega-rich person as their dog concierge. My job was to provide everything their dog needed so that when they wanted to pet it or play with it, the dog was ready and they didn’t have to think about it otherwise.

#11

Worked for a family that was ungodly well-off. The matriarch had a woman whose only purpose was to help her get dressed and manage this woman's "closet." Her office was in the closet. there had to be millions of dollars of clothing in there, so understandable.

#12

I’ve now met 3 people in my lifetime (2 wealthy, one not) who paid pretty good money to have prosthetic testicles surgically inserted into their dog’s empty scrotum after having them neutered. Just so the dog doesn’t feel “emasculated.”