CNBC's Untold Wealth

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jun 29th 2008 at 11:02AM

As we've mentioned on this blog many times, the number of ultra wealthy people is growing at an unheard-of rate. Even as we struggle with rising gas and food costs more and more billionaires are being created all the time. In 1985, there were only 13 billionaires in the U.S.; today there are more than 1,000 as well as a whole host of people with hundreds of millions in their coffers. A new CNBC special "Untold Wealth: The Rise of the Super Rich" explores a world where multiple homes, personal staffs, fleets of cars and multi million dollar art collections are the norm. Think of it as the television version of "Richistan."

The one-hour special on CNBC had its premiere on Thursday and will air tonight at 10pm ET as well as several more times in July. At times it's tough to watch the stories of the ultra wealthy but what is really interesting is the segment on "middleclass millionaires" in which Laurel Touby, who sold Media Bistro for 23 million in 2007 says that her remaining $10 million won't even buy her the apartment she wants in New York City. She goes on to discuss her conversations with the "really rich" (over $100 million or more) about shares in private jets and other services far over her price level. For every person you see and think they are rich and have it all, there is probably someone they look at as being rich and think they really have it all.

Tags: billionaires, cnbc, money, untold wealth