Quora Answer: Why Does Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. Always Shows Off His Money?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Why does Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. always have to show off his money in interviews?  Why would he keep stacks of cash under couch cushions, in gym bags, and just lying around his house?”

We have to understand that there are three types of people who are ultra-wealthy.  The first type inherited their wealth, accumulated over generations.  They are old money.  These people have lived their entire life in wealth, and it does not amaze them or excite them.  It is something normal, to be expected.  As such, there is no need to flaunt it.  Any perceived ostentation is incidental.  They move in circles where everybody is like them.  What is one more supercar, or another mansion when everybody has them?

The second type is the one we are more familiar with.  They are people who built their wealth through building a business.  They are some of the wealthiest people in the world because they know the value of money.  They include people like Warren Edward Buffet, William Henry Gates III, and Jeffrey Preston Bezos.  Since they worked hard to arrive at where they are, they are hardly the sort to flaunt for the sake of flaunting.  Again, they move in their own circles, where there is no benefit in this sort of behaviour.

The last type is the one who got wealthy through a singular skill, or by being a celebrity.  Their only “skill” is being famous.  They could conceivably evolve to be the second type.  Jessica Marie Alba comes to mind.  More often, since their skill allowed them to accumulate wealth without the education of managing wealth, they tie their esteem to flaunting it.  These are the rappers throwing away expensive champagne in music videos because they can.  These are the sports personalities with an Instagram profile full of their next sports car or tenth mansion.  These are the movie stars purchasing stupid things like castles in Scotland and shrunken heads.

The problem with the third group of people, is that since they do not know how to manage their assets, they tend to lose it.  They get cheated by their finance manager, who was probably a friend from the “hood”, or fritter it away long after the glow of celebrity and their short time in the spotlight has faded away, because they still spend as if they are earning the same amount.  Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. is that sort of idiot.  Money does not buy class or dignity.