### Living the Billionaire Life in 2025: The Price Tag Just Went Up
In the wild world of the ultra-rich, living the billionaire lifestyle is about to hit a new record high. In 2025, a whopping $532 million was spent at the Keeland yearling September sale, the largest thoroughbred auction on the planet. This frenzy of spending saw the average price of a racehorse soar to nearly $650,000 — a staggering 23% increase from the previous year. It seems that when it comes to horse racing, money really does gallop faster than expected!
Why are the wealthy splurging on racehorses like there’s no tomorrow? A big contributor to this surge can be traced back to tax breaks from a certain former president’s tax plan. Specifically, a golden nugget was tucked into the “one big beautiful bill” that allows buyers to write off 100% of a racehorse purchase in the first year. So naturally, wealthy buyers headed to the auction with wallets wide open, knowing they could offset these extravagant expenses against their taxes.
The excitement in Kentucky isn’t just about horses; it’s reflective of a broader trend among billionaires. Ever since 1982, Forbes has been tracking the extravagant tastes of the wealthy with their “Cost of Living Extremely Well Index,” or CLEWI, which measures prices of luxury goods and services. In 2025, this index reported a 5.5% increase, significantly outpacing the average consumer inflation rate of 2.7%. In simple terms, being rich is becoming even pricier at twice the rate of everyday expenses!
The wealth spectrum is fascinating; there are now over 3,148 billionaires with a jaw-dropping combined wealth of $18.7 trillion. Each billionaire sports an average net worth of about $5.9 billion — a sweet 5% uptick from last year. And while the rich keep getting richer, their spending habits are decidedly selective. The number of high-spenders has dwindled from 400 million in 2022 to just 340 million today; luxury goods are increasingly being purchased by a tighter circle of well-heeled shoppers.
What do billionaires spend their money on besides racehorses? The world of luxury services and experiences has never been so fervent. For example, high-end concierge services are now seeing membership fees soar to around $200,000 a year as clientele hunt for premium services like booking private jets or securing a table at exclusive restaurants. Couples looking to sail the Mediterranean on a bespoke yacht also have to cough up more cash, with the price of a British-made Oyster 595 sailboat now hovering around $4.2 million.
Even though inflation has hit the billionaires’ playground, they’re not taking it lying down. Prices for coveted items have surged, including a 3% jump for private jets and up to 26% more for top-of-the-line sporting shotguns. However, not every luxury is feeling the pinch; some items like bespoke dress shirts and opulent sheets have remained stable in price, proving that even among the wealthy, some deals can still be found.
In conclusion, living the billionaire lifestyle in 2025 is definitely not for the faint of heart—or wallet. As these record-breaking numbers reflect, the world of the super-rich is both glitzy and eye-watering. With tax breaks incentivizing purchases and luxury goods becoming ever more exclusive, it seems that the elites are willing to pay through the nose to maintain their lifestyles. While most folks might need to tighten their belt, the billionaires are filling theirs with gold — and it looks like the cart is rolling on for the foreseeable future!
