Life as a billionaire's assistant
Brian Daniel was featured in Business Insider for a second time in 2024. This time, talking about lifestyle management for the super-rich. NOTE: This article was also featured on MSN Money and has been edited for clarity for our readers.
Summary
- Brian Daniel places personal assistants with royals, CEOs, and celebrities.
- He started his staffing business after working as an assistant himself for A-listers.
- Here's what he's learned about about billionaires.
Billionaires. They're just like us—on a very magnified level.
While we may have trouble managing our household--laundry, dishes, and tidying—they have trouble managing a household staff: butlers, housekeepers, and dog walkers. While we dream about hanging out with our favorite actors and musicians, they actually get to.
Brian Daniel knows this well. He spent a decade working as a personal assistant to A-listers—both in the worlds of Hollywood and business—and went on to start his household staffing business in 2007 after a working for members of the royal family of Saudi Arabia.
Now, he places personal and executive assistants with CEOs, billionaires, and celebrities. They are responsible for everything from keeping the helicopters, yachts, and private jets running on schedule to snagging coveted restaurant reservations—and making sure their client's favorite drink is waiting for them on the table when they arrive.
During his time in the industry, he's learned a thing or two about the habits, preferences, and peculiarities of the uber-wealthy.
Here are five things to know about billionaires, according to a billionaire whisperer:
While we may have trouble managing our household--laundry, dishes, and tidying—they have trouble managing a household staff: butlers, housekeepers, and dog walkers. While we dream about hanging out with our favorite actors and musicians, they actually get to.
Brian Daniel knows this well. He spent a decade working as a personal assistant to A-listers—both in the worlds of Hollywood and business—and went on to start his household staffing business in 2007 after a working for members of the royal family of Saudi Arabia.
Now, he places personal and executive assistants with CEOs, billionaires, and celebrities. They are responsible for everything from keeping the helicopters, yachts, and private jets running on schedule to snagging coveted restaurant reservations—and making sure their client's favorite drink is waiting for them on the table when they arrive.
During his time in the industry, he's learned a thing or two about the habits, preferences, and peculiarities of the uber-wealthy.
Here are five things to know about billionaires, according to a billionaire whisperer:
1. Billionaires want what the average person can't have
Most billionaires, at least the self-made ones, don't get where they are by being complacent. More often than not, they veer competitive.
"Even if you are one of the really conservative billionaires like Warren Buffett, there's a certain drive they have to compete. That's just part of their MO," Daniel told Business Insider. "A lot of billionaires like bragging rights, where they want access to things that other people can't get access to."
That might include entrance into exclusive social clubs, vacations on invite-only private islands, or one-of-a-kind art pieces —like the diamond-encrusted Damien Hirst skull that one of Daniel's clients was after. Even when you're super-rich, you want to keep up with or exceed the super-rich Joneses.
"Even if you are one of the really conservative billionaires like Warren Buffett, there's a certain drive they have to compete. That's just part of their MO," Daniel told Business Insider. "A lot of billionaires like bragging rights, where they want access to things that other people can't get access to."
That might include entrance into exclusive social clubs, vacations on invite-only private islands, or one-of-a-kind art pieces —like the diamond-encrusted Damien Hirst skull that one of Daniel's clients was after. Even when you're super-rich, you want to keep up with or exceed the super-rich Joneses.
2. They love celebrities — and will pay for access to them
Celebrities and billionaires are not the same.
For one, celebrities "don't have that much money, when you compare them to billionaires," Daniel said, adding that "everyone knows a lot of them [can be thrifty]." But they do have something many billionaires want: fame and a certain glow about them.
The uber-rich will often pay for access to celebrities, Daniel said, inviting them on their yachts—see Jeff Bezos—or to show up at private events. Sometimes, the celebrity charges a fee, but often, the payoff is getting to experience the billionaire lifestyle: five-star hotels, private planes, the works.
"The billionaires can afford [and are willing] to pay the bill to have the celebrities come to their parties and be on their yachts," Daniel said.
For one, celebrities "don't have that much money, when you compare them to billionaires," Daniel said, adding that "everyone knows a lot of them [can be thrifty]." But they do have something many billionaires want: fame and a certain glow about them.
The uber-rich will often pay for access to celebrities, Daniel said, inviting them on their yachts—see Jeff Bezos—or to show up at private events. Sometimes, the celebrity charges a fee, but often, the payoff is getting to experience the billionaire lifestyle: five-star hotels, private planes, the works.
"The billionaires can afford [and are willing] to pay the bill to have the celebrities come to their parties and be on their yachts," Daniel said.
3. Don't expect to make bank just because you're on their bankroll
Daniel said this can be particularly true when it comes to [household] staff—like personal assistants. He says that a number of billionaires want to hire someone to do a $300,000-a-year job for $100,000.
"If that same [billionaire] went to one of the five top yacht builders and wanted to build a mega-yacht--where there's a five-year waiting list--and they want it to be a $500 million yacht, they're not going to offer the guy one-third of what the yacht's worth," he said [but some billionaires will do that for the help].
"If that same [billionaire] went to one of the five top yacht builders and wanted to build a mega-yacht--where there's a five-year waiting list--and they want it to be a $500 million yacht, they're not going to offer the guy one-third of what the yacht's worth," he said [but some billionaires will do that for the help].
4. Running an UHNW household is a tough job
One difference between new money and old money: New money doesn't always know how much work goes into being a billionaire.
"In Europe, for example, they've been doing [the mega-mansion management] for hundreds of years: They have all the castles, the aristocracy, the generational wealth; they have streamlined the process," Daniel said.
"It's common for me to get calls and emails from people, somebody suddenly is in a situation is in a situation where they have either inherited the fabulous wealth or their company went public and there was a windfall of money, they get the mega-yachts, the exotic car fleets, the mega-mansions," he said. "They really didn't understand what they were getting themselves into [and they become overwhelmed]."
Daniel calls them growing pains—the learning curve that comes with having a lot of money and the ecosystem surrounding it. He uses employing domestic staff as an example; many newly wealthy don't realize the labor laws involving vacation time, maximum hours, and breaks.
"In Europe, for example, they've been doing [the mega-mansion management] for hundreds of years: They have all the castles, the aristocracy, the generational wealth; they have streamlined the process," Daniel said.
"It's common for me to get calls and emails from people, somebody suddenly is in a situation is in a situation where they have either inherited the fabulous wealth or their company went public and there was a windfall of money, they get the mega-yachts, the exotic car fleets, the mega-mansions," he said. "They really didn't understand what they were getting themselves into [and they become overwhelmed]."
Daniel calls them growing pains—the learning curve that comes with having a lot of money and the ecosystem surrounding it. He uses employing domestic staff as an example; many newly wealthy don't realize the labor laws involving vacation time, maximum hours, and breaks.
5. Always carry a lot of cash
If you're going to make any sort of difficult request, "it's very important to have Benjamins," Daniel said.
If he has a last-minute request from a client to get into a new, hot—and totally booked—restaurant, cash is king.
"Before I even start talking, I'm giving the maître d' and general manager money to get their attention because I'm about to ask for a miracle," he said.
Sometimes, though, money isn't enough. One VIP client wanted to get into [an exclusive] club with a strict dress code: no shorts or hats [the client was wearing both]. The VIP didn't have a change of clothes and $1,000 in cash to the manager didn't do a thing.
"At that point, you cannot buy your way out of a problem," he said. "I could have given them $5,000 [and it wouldn't have mattered]."
Of course, there are other options—and Daniel did get him in, thanks to a few connections. Just another day on the job.
If he has a last-minute request from a client to get into a new, hot—and totally booked—restaurant, cash is king.
"Before I even start talking, I'm giving the maître d' and general manager money to get their attention because I'm about to ask for a miracle," he said.
Sometimes, though, money isn't enough. One VIP client wanted to get into [an exclusive] club with a strict dress code: no shorts or hats [the client was wearing both]. The VIP didn't have a change of clothes and $1,000 in cash to the manager didn't do a thing.
"At that point, you cannot buy your way out of a problem," he said. "I could have given them $5,000 [and it wouldn't have mattered]."
Of course, there are other options—and Daniel did get him in, thanks to a few connections. Just another day on the job.
