See the World’s Richest People In Their Natural Habitats, From Indoor Tropical Pools to Their Personal Mount Rushmores
It goes to show just how ahead of her time the photographer Lauren Greenfield has been in documenting materialist celebrity culture that back in 1992, she captured a 12-year-old Kim Kardashian—and that she only uncovered that gem recently, because it’s in fact just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the past 25 years of her work documenting the rise of consumerism, capitalism, and society’s obsession with image and celebrity. Her work now amounts to a whopping half a million photos, which Greenfield managed to cut down to around 200 for “Generation Wealth,” an exhibition that just arrived at New York’s International Center of Photography after debuting at the Annenberg Space for Photography. As the show and Greenfield’s accompanying book illustrate, her work may center around figures like the Kardashians, but it’s not them she’s interested in; she’s more fascinated by their effect on the nonfamous, like those wealthy enough to build their own replicas of the White House and Mount Rushmore—or the fateful couple determined to build the country’s largest single-family home during the financial crisis. Meet the preposterously rich (and their fellow aspirants) from the exhibit, here.
1
Real-estate agent Brian, 50, with his son Scott, 19, at home in Canyon Lake, one of five gated cities in California, with 24-hour security, 2008. Borrowing against the value of his house during the real-estate boom, Brian built his family a tropical backyard inspired by hotels where they had stayed on vacation in Maui.
2
Lindsey, 18, at a Fourth of July party three days after her nose job, Calabasas, California, 1993. Five of her close friends at Calabasas High School have already had plastic surgery.
3
Lil Jon, 33, sporting a diamond and platinum grill that reportedly cost $50,000, at the 2004 Soul Train Awards, Los Angeles.
4
The view from Huang’s office at his White House, Hangzhou, 2002. In addition to this one-third-size replica of Mount Rushmore, the grounds of Huang’s home include a smaller version of the Washington Monument.
5
Mijanou, 18, who was voted Best Physique at Beverly Hills High School, skips class to go to the beach with friends on the annual Senior Beach Day, Santa Monica, California, 1993.
6
The Sun City Poms, who range in age from 63 to 81, rehearse their cheerleading routine, Sun City, Arizona, 1999. Sun City opened in 1960 as the country’s first retirement community aimed at active seniors and offers a huge range of activities, including synchronized swimming, kayaking, and archery.
7
High school seniors (from left) Lili, 17, Nicole, 18, Lauren, 18, Luna, 18, and Sam, 17, put on their makeup in front of a two-way mirror for the author’s Beauty CULTure documentary, Los Angeles, 2011.
8
Celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan, 39, prepares to give Botox injections to Shannon Tweed, 43, a former Playboy Playmate and wife of Kiss lead singer Gene Simmons, Beverly Hills, 2000. Dr. Ryan gained notoriety in 2009 for performing 10 procedures at once on reality-TV star Heidi Montag. He died in a car accident the following year.
9
Secret Moneii, 28, a stripper at Magic City who made nearly $20,000 during her first week at the club, Atlanta, 2015. Before coming to Magic City, the single mother of two was struggling, working two jobs.
10
A 24-karat, solid-gold toilet at the 3D-Gold jewelry store, Hong Kong, 2005. The toilet, with a bowl encrusted in jewels, draws more than 3,000 visitors a day, most from Mainland China, to be photographed sitting on it. The store’s owner, Sai-wing Lam, who grew up struggling as a fruit vendor during the Cultural Revolution, was inspired by Lenin’s dream of a Communist utopia where public toilets were made of gold.
