Most of the wealthy folk I know are mini economic centres - employing staff, gardeners, carpenters etc etc.
This is quite true. I don't know any wealthy people personally, but a few of my self-employed friends (garden design, florist, carpenter, electrician, dry-stone waller) are grateful for the fact there are plenty of rich people around Gloucestershire.
They are a good source of local employment, and according to one of my mates, what's even better is that they sometimes don't think very hard about exactly what they want. He spend 3 months at £250 a day building a garden feature for one local bazillionaire. When it was finished, the response was "I really like it, but could you move it over there please?" Another 3 months steady work.
