Rich Kids of the Internet
{{Short description|Social media channel and brand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{For|other works with the original title|Rich Kids of Instagram (disambiguation){{!}}Rich Kids of Instagram}}{{Infobox company
| name = Rich Kids Of The Internet
| logo = Rich Kids Of The Internet logo.jpg
| former_name = Rich Kids of Instagram
| founded = 2012
| founder = James Ison
| website = {{url|https://instagram.com/rkoi/}}
}}
Rich Kids of the Internet, also known as RKOI, is a social media channel and brand.{{Cite news |last=Hewitson |first=Jessie |date=2020-08-15 |title=How James Ison started the Rich Kids of Instagram |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/c9c0980c-dbc2-11ea-9bd5-8c0b68caf23e |access-date=2025-02-07 |work=The Times}}{{Cite news |date=2020-09-03 |title=Rich Kids of the Internet: the Instagram account super-wealthy millennials pay US$2,000 to be featured on – set up by a teen student who grew up in a bungalow |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3099989/rich-kids-internet-instagram-account-super-wealthy |access-date=2025-02-07 |work=Style |publisher=South China Morning Post}}{{Cite journal |last1=Leban |first1=Marina |last2=Thomsen |first2=Thyra Uth |last3=von Wallpach |first3=Sylvia |last4=Voyer |first4=Benjamin G. |date=March 2021 |title=Constructing Personas: How High-Net-Worth Social Media Influencers Reconcile Ethicality and Living a Luxury Lifestyle |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2492122409 |journal=Journal of Business Ethic |volume=169 |issue=2 |pages=225–239 |doi=10.1007/s10551-020-04485-6 |id={{ProQuest|2492122409}} |via=ProQuest}} Originally called Rich Kids of Instagram, it started as a hashtag in 2012 which subsequently became a popular Tumblr photo blog;{{Cite journal |last1=Cohen |first1=Scott |last2=Liu |first2=Hongbo |last3=Gössling |first3=Stefan |date=2021 |title=The Rich Kids of Instagram: Luxury Travel, Transport Modes, and Desire |journal=Journal of Travel Research |volume=61 |issue=7 |pages=1479–1494 |doi=10.1177/00472875211037748 |doi-access=free}} it started its own Instagram channel in 2014.{{Cite news |last=Hoflower |first=Hillary |date=12 August 2019 |title=Bugattis in Switzerland, yacht trips to Montenegro, and $50,000 watches: Take a look at how the 'Rich Kids of Instagram' are spending their summers |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2399216299 |access-date=2025-02-10 |work=Business Insider |id={{ProQuest|2399216299}} |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |last=Kanter |first=Jake |date=November 10, 2015 |title=C4 doc explores Rich Kids of Instagram |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1917665176 |access-date=2025-02-08 |work=Broadcast |id={{ProQuest|1917665176}} |via=ProQuest}} RKOI curates images of ultra-wealthy young people flaunting their luxury lifestyles. As of 2020, they were paying $2,000 to be featured.{{Cite news |last=Hoffower |first=Hillary |date=2019-03-18 |title=7 ways rich millennials spend and display their money differently than rich baby boomers |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2404296238 |access-date=2025-02-07 |work=Business Insider |id={{ProQuest|2404296238}} |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |last=Premack |first=Rachel |date=October 22, 2018 |title=Outrageous photos show how the 'Rich Kids of Instagram' spend their parents' fortunes |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2407595467 |access-date=2025-02-10 |work=Business Insider |id={{ProQuest|2407595467}} |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |last=Quart |first=Alissa |date=June 30, 2018 |title=On social media, everyone's rich: Approximating authenticity online is not such a tall order. Why don't we do it? |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2061765729 |access-date=2025-02-10 |work=The Globe and Mail |id={{ProQuest|2061765729}} |via=ProQuest}}
History
The site's early motto was, "They have more money than you and this is what they do."{{Cite news |last=Waak |first=Anne |date=July 20, 2014 |title=Selfie mit Privatjet |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1855648983 |access-date=2025-02-09 |work=Welt am Sonntag |id={{ProQuest|1855648983}} |via=ProQuest}} The first post went viral with a picture of Michael Dell's teenage son enjoying a buffet on the family jet on the way to Fiji, taken by his sister.{{Cite news |last=Cefalu |first=Christiana |date=2012-09-24 |title=21st Century Risks |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1073469292 |access-date=2025-02-09 |work=Barron's |id={{ProQuest|1073469292}} |via=ProQuest}} The identity of who was behind Rich Kids of Instagram remained secret for eight years, leading to comparisons with the television series Gossip Girl.{{Cite news |last1=Stone |first1=Madeline |last2=Jacobs |first2=Sarah |date=21 September 2015 |title=The 'Insta-famous' sons and daughters of New York's elite let me into their circle — here's what it was like |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-hang-out-with-the-rich-kids-of-instagram-2015-9 |access-date=2025-02-08 |work=Business Insider}} While many of the young people featured appeared eager to show off their wealth, there were reports that "prominent families" had offered money to have their children's photos taken down from RKOI.
British entrepreneur James Ison was revealed as the founder in 2020. He had started posting as an economics student at Oxford Brookes University, and was soon contacted by two New Yorkers who became his partners. RKOI officially changed its name to Rich Kids of the Internet after receiving a legal letter from Facebook, which acquired Instagram.
In 2018, a Business Insider article featuring "50 of the most outlandish photos from the feed" included snaps of taking a helicopter for a "walkabout" on an Icelandic glacier; Bombardier jets; "private island yacht days"; a drone shot of a superyacht; a gold Bentley; a Ferrari 458 Spider; using a Lamborghini to transport a Christmas tree; exclusive use of the spa at the W Miami Hotel; camping in a safari tent at Coachella festival; and showing off fashion and accessories such as Rolexes, Cartier bracelets, Hermès shoe boxes, Louis Vuitton bags, and a white leather skirt suit from Prada.
Influencers
Influencers regularly featured on RKOI included Tiffany Trump, daughter of Donald Trump; Christian Combs, son of Sean "Diddy" Combs; EJ Johnson, son of basketball star Magic Johnson; hotel heir Barron Hilton; Indian entrepreneur Manan Shah, Evan Luthra; and Moldovan Daria Radionova.{{Cite news |last=Swerdloff |first=Alexis |date=December 13, 2015 |title=Meet the Self-Proclaimed 'Kris Jenner' of the Clique That Brings Together a Kennedy, a Matisse, and a Trump |url=https://www.thecut.com/2015/12/kennedy-matisse-trump-clique.html |access-date=2025-02-08 |work=The Cut}}{{Cite news |last=Singh |first=Devika |date=25 September 2016 |title=Got it, Flaunt it: The Rich Kids of Instagram have a lavish and ostentatious lifestyle |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1817483686 |access-date=2025-02-08 |work=Business Today |location=New Delhi |id={{ProQuest|1817483686}} |via=ProQuest}}{{Cite news |date=4 November 2012 |title=Romney's granddaughter poses in designer dress on lavish 'Rich Kids of Instagram' blog |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1125791568 |access-date=2025-02-09 |work=Asian News International |location=New Delhi |id={{ProQuest|1125791568}} |via=ProQuest}}
Spin-offs
Since its launch, RKOI has spawned many imitators worldwide.{{Cite news |last=Sykes |first=Tom |date=2016-02-27 |title=Are The Rich Kids of Instagram Really Rich?: Their pictures show yachts, champagne, and lives of excess and glamor, but the foreign rich kids of Instagram may not be as rich as they seem. |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1782281445 |access-date=2025-02-07 |work=The Daily Beast |id={{ProQuest|1782281445}} |via=ProQuest}} It also became the basis for a 2014 novel called Rich Kids of Instagram, co-authored by the creator of RKOI and Maya Sloan.{{Cite news |last=Vargas-Cooper |first=Natasha |date=October 2014 |title=The Acquisitive Self, Minus the Self |url=https://thebaffler.com/salvos/acquisitive-self-minus-self |access-date=2025-02-07 |work=The Baffler}}
See also
References
External links
- [https://www.instagram.com/rkoi/?hl=en Official Instagram account for RKOI]