Born Rich by Jamie Johnson
Mar 29
I have been searching for this video for a while, since I first heard about Jamie Johnson when he was promoting a more current project of his called The One Percent.
This video is called Born Rich and it is a documentary about Johnson’s life being the great great grandson of the man who founded Johnson & Johnson. In this film he decides he is going to break the family taboo and actually talk about what it means to inherit or be born into large amounts of money.
The film ends up being an insider’s view on the kids of some of the wealthiest families in the world and if, like me, you are intrigued by money and its effect on people, then you’ll find this film very fascinating. The style is very down to earth, even amateurish, which gives it more impact.
There are many great scenes, but one of my favorite is Ivanka Trump giving Jamie a tour of her childhood bedroom with its 90210 fan posters on the wall and then panning to the shockingly amazing view out the window showing an intimate gaze over Central Park from the 67th floor of the Trump Tower.
It’s almost feature length, so make some popcorn, relax and enjoy. Also, the nice thing about Google Video is that you can go and download the video and play it off-line.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7457140802142500840This post was written by Jon Symons, see my short bio. Or use the contact page to get in touch.
I agree with you, this is a great movie. I saw it back on HBO when they were playing it non-stop for a month. It is truly an inside look that you don’t get often.
Interesting indeed. Like Jennifer, I saw it on HBO when they were playing it. I think the most interesting guy was the one from Europe who said he doesn’t understand why people ask you, “What do you do?” as an opening line to conversation.
I found it most intriguing that there are tons of middle class kids that act just like the 1%, so money doesn’t seem to have much to do with it. I think it’s a cultural thing.
Cheers,
Nneka
This was a really great movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was really struck by how lost a lot of the kids seemed. And how human. I thought the filmmaker did a great job of showing humanity behind the money.
So weird how the parents were so uncomfortable with how to handle the situation. At least the filmmaker’s father was open to exploring that, rather than just shutting down.
Thanks for sharing that.
Jamie painted the picture of a lot of the kids I grew-up with in Pebble Beach and Carmel in the sixties and early seventies. His portrait was a walk down memory lane that recalled being the middle class kid hanging with the inherited rich, and the issues they dealt with constantly but the outside world never saw.
I would not have traded my life for any one of theirs, though the attraction of the freedom to travel at will and own one’s time completley is potent drink. Having lived a rugged, lower middle class life where I must fend for myself and family, I feel sharper and more versed at the “Skill At Arms Of Living” than most of my wealthy friends. My problems were common matters of survival, theirs were always deeper wounds of the heart that no amount of “hard work” could erase completely.
Having the “absolute freedon of wealth” (not true in the literal sense) is double-edged. I’ll take my problems to theirs any day.
I thank Jamie for doing an intelligent,eloquent, sensative job capturing what I always had trouble describing to working class friends throughout my later life, who had never ridden in the Ferraris, played golf at Pebble Beach, partied at Club IX, or raced cars at Laguna Secca on the money of wealthy friends.
its really good to have people talking about this. These topics should be out in teh open and talked about by all people, this information about teh wealth gap is a FACT. i WOULD MUCH RATHER PEOPLE BE TALKIGN ABOUT THE FACTS than sweeping it under the carpet. I come from a middle class family and earn less than 30,000 a year.
Hi, my name is Jeff Bertolotti my baby sister was actress Brittany Murphy. My life has been a long and very difficult effort to keep the rent paid, eat and continue cultivating the gifts given to me by my creator, (music, photographer, writing and so forth) and also fight a life long battle with Dysautonomia. Having said that to give you an idea of my journey in life, I have to say, I thought your documentary was a Nobel and very worthy endeavor, in my eye anyway. Its very important to let our brothers and sisters that we share this plant with see how this planetary organism works as a whole. To only know our own experience in this life is to be completely ignorant at best. I thank you for helping to dial down that ignorance, even if it was just to a small audience, the ripples will travel as they always do and find fertile shores to land. I hope you decide to spend some time filming the poor we have in this country, and see if you might find a way from you gifted background to assist in finding some answers there…Bridges are powerful structures, and you possess the potential to build a bridge that at this point hasn’t been built. Many blessings to you and yours…Jeff Bertolotti
I really appreciated how toward the end of this, Ivanka Trump mentions how ignorant it is to believe that the rich encounter no troubles, no pain, no hardships. As someone who was homeless from age 16-19, I have known hardship. But pain is relative. I only hope that the trend of the middle class disintegrating turns around soon.
I am not sure what I expected when I saw the film. I have known a few inheritance children and had always felt sorry for the layers upon layers of complications in their lives that me or none of my other friends had to worry about. Sure all of us want enough money to have a secure and happy life, but watching this show and knowing a few of them myself certainly gives light to what life is like for them. Thanks Jamie, I think you should pursue a life in documentary film, you made all of us feel compassion for the subjects, rather than the misplaced resentment most people tend to exude. I’m going to direct my rich friend to watch your movie, but I absolutely know there will be tears, for in this film you have given a glimpse of what people simply don’t see.
I just watched the “documentary” and I have to admit that everything about this movie is pathetic. Rich kid therapy gone bad..
I am grateful that this documentary was made. One comment that I really appreciated was the one where a man was asked what if your child has a disability, and he answered ‘ll e justlike the other 98% of people who haveto deal with that stuff. I am a single mother of a daughter with a chromosome disordered, and it is really nice to know that there arepeoplout thre who have a heart and care.
I realy admire he work jamie Johnson does …I will vote for him if he ever runs for anything !
Wonderful work Jamie Johnson. Being able to look into the lives of some of the world’s most privileged heirs was very enlightening. I hope you continue to bring good, quality documentaries for everyone. Thanks.
Jaime Johnson, would love to see you and some of your friends who get it, show at at #Occupywallstreet in New York or where ever, since they are all over the country now, and talk to the media about your experience of the imbalance in our world. Something like “The Youth of the 1% show solidarity with the 99%.” Thanks for all you do. Loved your movies and your willingness to be open.
Your Father and his brothers and sisters got screwed out of $ 300 Million+ when your grandfather died, what a bitch she was them went back to Poland I say piss on her. Keep up the good work J&J. I want to help you to make Born Rich part 2. Good moves..