An X post recently made the rounds for its “old money” visuals. The video depicting weekends spent sailing Lake Como in tuxedos and candlelit dinners at impossibly long dining tables screams “upper crust.” Or so we thought.
It was another X user who quickly shattered the illusion. “Sorry to burst the fantasy, but I know one of the girls in this video, and none of this is casual or real,” Louis Pisano wrote in a post. “It’s an ‘Instagram club’ where, if you get accepted, you pay to dress up and create ‘old money’ content with them.”
This is the Tuxedo Society, a U.K.-based members-only club promising access to “experiences in the most iconic locations” and a chance to “elevate your network” by connecting with like-minded people. Founded by classic-car dealer Riccardo Capotosti, the group markets itself as an exclusive gateway to a more glamorous, monied world with the motto “Attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places.”
“Having access to this elite club will give you the opportunity to connect with enlightened people from all over the world,” the group’s website states. Or, as one X user put it: “So it’s basically Disneyland for wannabe socialites.”
The Tuxedo Society, also known as the Tuxedo Members Club, has two websites: one showing the luxurious lifestyle you can expect with a membership and another for applications, though the latter is still in the “Coming Soon” phase as of this writing. To join, you must earn more than 500,000 euros per year (that’s around $520,000) or have a seven-figure net worth (although Pisano claims this isn’t true, based on his personal knowledge of one of the members).
Prospective members must also pass an approval process, including an introductory video call with a board member, according to the website. An annual membership then costs 6,000 euros (about $6,200), and if you don’t renew, your spot goes to someone else.
Current members, including influencers like Federico di Custoza and model Chiara Basso, pose against classic cars and suited up in formal wear on tennis courts. The most notable member, who can actually claim “old money” status, is Eugenia Hannover, a model linked to the historic House of Hanover.
Fascination with the rich and well-connected is nothing new, but in the age of social media, it’s easier than ever to cosplay as wealthy, even if just for content. The secret lives and unspoken rules of the upper classes have been the subject of countless films and TV shows, from The Great Gatsby and The Talented Mr. Ripley to Saltburn. Remember how those stories ended?
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