Rich Hamptons-goers are complaining about an influx of even wealthier people: ‘Everyone with money is here

Wealthy Hamptons-goers are complaining that an influx of ultra-wealthy individuals are ruining the summer destination.

The complaints from the rich, who summer on the eastern tip of Long Island each year, were outlined in an article published by Vanity Fair last week, titled: “Rich People of The Hamptons Have a New Headache: Even Richer People.”

In the article, journalist Stephanie Krikorian speaks to various rich individuals who have spent their lives vacationing at the Hamptons, only to find that this year the affluent neighbourhoods have been overrun by the extremely rich.

According to one woman, who bought her house in Amagansett in 1991, the amount of new money is “nauseating,” despite her acknowledgement that she personally is a “one-percenter”.

“There’s so much money now it’s nauseating,” she said. “I’m a one-percenter. But I bear no resemblance to these people.”

The woman, who claimed that both the pandemic and Donald Trump’s tax cuts for the wealthy are to blame, also alleged that she would not come to the Hamptons any longer, if she weren’t already there, as “the conspicuous consumption is just gross”.

“It’s the age of entitlement,” she added.

Another Hamptons resident claimed that the uber-wealthy have had a negative impact on the relaxed vibe of the summer destination, telling Krikorian that there is “no more livability” and that everything is now just “expensive,” before noting that the area has “gotten more scheduled than New York City”.

Others shared their frustrations with the increased prices for nearly everything at the beach towns, from Ubers and vacation rentals to restaurants, with one woman recalling stories of friends who have ended their nights with $7,000 bar tabs, while another lamented a recent $300 lunch bill for four that didn’t include alcohol and left them hungry at the end of the meal.

While the wealthy are upset by the hike in prices and the arrival of new, wealthier Hamptons residents, the reactions were different on social media, where readers found the struggles amusing.

“Not the rich complaining about the rich,” one person tweeted, while another said: “Alexa, what’s the most 2021 headline?”

Someone else joked that they should be crowdfunding to help the original Hamptons-goers, writing: “Where’s GoFundMe when you need it.”

In 2020, the median sale price for homes in the Hamptons reached $1,202,500, a “40 per cent increase from 2019 and the first time the year-end price broke the million-dollar threshold,” according to a report from Douglas Elliman.