Behind every super-rich person is a very hard-working team of staff, some of whom have very unusual job descriptions. From babysitting meerkat pups to trailing behind a singer while holding her drink.
Ferrari shopper
When interest rates are so low, buying a classic car could prove a better – and much more fun – investment. Enter Marcel Massini, the man you go to with your millions when you want a Ferrari. With a database of 20,000 Ferrari chassis numbers, he will check your Prancing Horse’s provenance and history. Got $500,000? He recommends a 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider. Only $100,000? A 330 GTC.
Basketball retriever
Most super-yachts have a golf driving range – and you can even buy biodegradable golf balls (filled with fish feed) so they can be hit into the ocean without fear of environmental consequences. But what if you have a basketball court on your vessel? If you’re Oracle founder Larry Ellison, you just pay someone to follow you in a speedboat and pick up that fall into the water.
Rich student’s entourage
Most students have to fend for themselves when they leave home, from cooking to washing their own clothes. But this wasn't the case for one Indian billionaire’s daughter starting her studies at St Andrew’s University (pictured) in Scotland (Prince William and Kate Middleton's alma mater). Her parents clearly wanted her to have the full Downton Abbey experience and advertised for 12 staff, including three housekeepers, a house manager and a lady’s maid, all roles said to pay around $39,300, to care for the student at her newly-bought Scottish mansion.
Medical concierge
The first wealth is health, said American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the ultra-rich like to ensure they can fast-track their way back to health if they get sick. Medical concierge services have become common in the US and now the UK, offering 24/7 advice and support.
Pet nanny
Pets are often a billionaire’s best friend and the super-rich, with their jet-setting lives, need people they can trust to take care of their beloved animals in their million-dollar mansions.
Private jet decorator
Got your own private jet? Tick. Want to personalize it? You need a private jet decorator, like an interior designer but for your Gulfstream.
In-house tech support
Time is money and when your child’s tablet won’t synchronize or you can’t remember your password, wouldn’t it be so much nicer to just buzz your own family services systems administrator? If you have the money, you can do just that.
