Do mega-mansions anger you?

[watsoninc]

Recently, Candy Spelling put her mega mansion on sell for $150 million. The home boasts of a 40 ft. foyer, 73,500 sq ft, an enormous screening room, a gift wrapping room, a doll museum, a two lane bowling alley, and many other amenities.

I got to wondering if seeing such excess stirs up resentment, motivation, or indifference.

[simpleyme]

no not at all ,AAron Spelling made a ton of money and I cannot imagine the sheer number of people he employed in all he did including the building maintenance of his home
he personally gave food to children by employing their parents ,may he rest in peace

I have no problem with the success of other people actually I like it it keeps them of ythe dole ;-)

[Broken Arrow]

I am mostly indifferent, although I do occasionally sigh wistfully at having the kind of money to be able to buy something like that... but not buy it.

[disneysteve]

I have no problem with people spending money that they have to spend. What good is doing the work and being successful if you don't get to enjoy it?

My problem is all the folks buying McMansions and then going around complaining that they've got no money or how much credit card debt they have. Those are the ones who annoy me.

[cptacek]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I have no problem with people spending money that they have to spend. What good is doing the work and being successful if you don't get to enjoy it?

My problem is all the folks buying McMansions and then going around complaining that they've got no money or how much credit card debt they have. Those are the ones who annoy me.

I completely agree. You shouldn't be punished because you are successful, and Aaron Spelling was definitely successful!

[FrugalIII]

I agree with you disneysteve. Cudos to the people who make all that money. I wish I made more, but I don't do bad for myself. If they make lots of money and do what they want in life, more power to them. Those I don't care for are the ones that spend, spend, spend and can't repay. Live within your means for heavens sake.
Odd though that so many movie stars and sports players end up dead broke. Even though they make more money than most of us even dream about, they still spend more than they make. I'd rather be a frugal middle class guy myself. Buy what I want and still have money in the bank!

[MonkeyMama]

Indifference. Coming into that kind of money, a mansion would be low on my list. I'd rather spend that kind of money on other things.

[boosami]

Do you have the MLS listing for it? I'm interested in purchasing it.

[mommyof4]

No, I have no problem with people using the wealth that has been honestly earned. And think of the people who he hired to build the house, maintain it, etc. - it put food on their tables, too. I personally do not feel the need to have a huge mansion, but I don't begrudge those who are able to afford that type of luxury, either.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by mommyof4

I personally do not feel the need to have a huge mansion, but I don't begrudge those who are able to afford that type of luxury, either.

While I don't begrudge those with large homes, I do wonder what the point is. We have friends who had a beautiful, good-size home, larger than average though not quite what I'd call a McMansion. Plenty of space to do everything they needed. Then they sold it and moved to a much larger house that I would call a McMansion. The house is beautiful and they've done a great job furnishing and decorating it but personally, I just think it is too darn big. Who really needs all that space? What purpose does it serve, whether you can afford it or not? They have 2 rooms that I can think of that they don't even use, one that isn't even furnished and they've been in the house for quite a few years.

I'm with MonkeyMama - if I had that kind of money, there are other things I'd much rather spend it on.

[adam_c]

My first reaction is to consider how much the construction and maintenance of a property this size contributed to the economy. Someone built it and got paid for that work. Probably several dozen employees or maintenance companies are employed in servicing this property on a daily basis.

Also, consider the property taxes generated by a home this size that makes it is an asset to the community.

[DebbieL]

It seems totally pointless to me. Who could possibly need that much space? I would prefer people try to have a smaller footprint in this world - not needless consumption.

[bjl584]

No problems here. Think of all of the jobs that were created in building and maintaining something like that. It's easy to play the envy card with something like that, but there's a lot more going on there than just some rich person flaunting their money. I personally don't need or want anything like that, but who am I to say what someone else may want or need.

[Caoineag]

You would think I would hate it because of the waste (I think people should take better care of the earth) but I am really just indifferent. Whatever floats your boat seems to be my motto in life. If I had that kind of money, I am betting I would be a semi-perpetual traveler rather than owning a big house but that would just be my choice.

[globetraveler]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I have no problem with people spending money that they have to spend. What good is doing the work and being successful if you don't get to enjoy it?

My problem is all the folks buying McMansions and then going around complaining that they've got no money or how much credit card debt they have. Those are the ones who annoy me.

What he said! Exactly...

[Scanner]

No, the Mansions don't anger me per se but obscene salaries for some people do anger me.

I think there is a point where you are profit-driven/capitalistic and another point where you are just being a pig.

That seemed to be lost on the recent Wall Street executives.

[wnlbutterfly]

It is amazing to see the excessive spending, but if they honestly earned it (or inherited it), then whatever they want to spend their money on, I just hope they are also giving to charity.

The ones I have problems with are those that get quick money, get into drugs because "oh, I had so much money I didn't know what to do with it". Well, I could think of plenty things and plenty of places that could use money other than drug dealers.

Also those in the ministry that got carried away with the monies and had things like air conditioned dog houses. Especially as a minister, there should be so many places you can think to help others less fortunate, that you couldn't possibly waste it on frivolous stuff.

When I see HUGE houses I think how much time it would take to clean, or how could you have family time if you can't locate each other in a big house. I also think property taxes, mortgage, ect. Of course we have to assume that with this kind of money, they don't worry about that either.

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by disneysteve

I have no problem with people spending money that they have to spend. What good is doing the work and being successful if you don't get to enjoy it?

My problem is all the folks buying McMansions and then going around complaining that they've got no money or how much credit card debt they have. Those are the ones who annoy me.

Yeah ditto that.

[watsoninc]

Like most of the previous responders, I am somewhat indifferent. I believe that you should be able to do pretty much whatever you want with your own money (provided that you earned your money honestly).

Personally, if my net worth was phenomenal enough to afford a mega-mansion, I don't think purchasing one would be out of the question. I think it would be a lot of fun and a true escape from life's hardship. That said, having a little less house and spending that money elsewhere (i.e. for a plane) would probably my own preference.

[Granite]

since there are so many needy people in the world that could benefit from the money, it seems indulgent to me that you would live that way but to each his own