Get the app

Shadowing practice: How the World's Wealthiest People Travel

Listen to the line, then say it out loud
Line 1

Full transcript

  1. There are roughly 295 ,450 people with at least $30 million.0:00
  2. Such individuals, referred to as ultra -high net worth, represent about 0 .0037 % of the human population yet they hold about a third $35 trillion of the world's wealth.0:05
  3. Therefore, it's no wonder why a massive global industry exists fully centered on supporting the pneumatic lifestyles of the world's wealthiest $295 ,000.0:17
  4. As with any socioeconomic class, ultra -high net worth individuals are more likely to socialize with other ultra -high net worth individuals, yet intriguingly, the number of people earning and0:27
  5. spending similarly to you goes down as your income goes up.0:38
  6. Therefore, once you get to the top of the income scale, the scarcity of people like you stretches your social networks out to a global scale.0:42
  7. Through the years, this led to the creation of the informal but remarkably systematized so -called billionaire's social calendar.0:50
  8. The year often starts on St.0:58
  9. Barthes, the traditional New Year's Eve spot for the wealthiest view, then February might include the Super Bowl, and March skiing in Aspen or San Maritz.0:59
  10. Spring starts with the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, while May includes the Caen Film Festival and the conveniently close Monaco Grand Prix.1:06
  11. June's highlight is the Henley Royal Rowing Regatta in England, July's as Wimbledon, August's as the Venice Film Festival, while September often includes a return to Monaco for its yacht1:14
  12. show.1:23
Show all 150 lines Show fewer lines
  1. October is the Friess London Art Fair, November might include a trip down under for the Melbourne Cup, and finally, the last major event of the year, before St.1:24
  2. Barthes, of course, is Art Basel, Miami Beach.1:32
  3. These events are hardly about the events themselves.1:35
  4. Most wealthy attendees to Monaco's Grand Prix hardly care about the racing, and its yacht show is far more than a sales event for the vessels, but rather they serve1:38
  5. as an exclusive space made available only to wealthy people who want to socialize with other wealthy people.1:45
  6. While few go to all, and each adapts the calendar to their preferences, ultra -wealthy individuals have often expressed a feeling of obligation to join the circuit in order to1:51
  7. maintain their social standing.1:59
  8. Such pressure may have motivated Jeff Bezos, for example, to start his 2022 as he did—on a yacht off St.2:02
  9. Barthes with his partner, Lauren Sanchez.2:08
  10. Thanks to publicly available aircraft transponder data, however, we're able to see what he did with the rest of his January.2:11
  11. Bezos' pair of G650 jets are too large for St.2:17
  12. Barthes' short runway, so they waited on neighboring St.2:20
  13. Martin while the billionaire rang in the new year.2:23
  14. Then, on the first, N271 -DV took off for the seven -hour flight to Los Angeles to drop Sanchez off, while the other N758PB flew the next day to take2:25
  15. Bezos directly home to Seattle.2:35
  16. Over the next two weeks, both jets regularly shuttled up and down the west coast between Seattle and Burbank, presumably to take Bezos and Sanchez to visit each other.2:37
  17. On January 13th, however, one of the jets flew from Burbank to Maui, while the other flew from Seattle and stopped briefly at LAX before continuing on to Maui, presumably2:44
  18. carrying Sanchez and Bezos respectively to the billionaire's new $78 million vacation home on the island, then each jet returned to the mainland four days later.2:54
  19. Bezos appeared to visit Sanchez again on the 23rd, then four days later flew directly to Washington, D .C.3:02
  20. Bezos owns the biggest home in the district, the largest newspaper in the city, and his company Amazon is constructing its second headquarters across the river in Crystal City, Virginia,3:08
  21. so he was likely there for business.3:17
  22. But finally, Bezos finished out the month by flying back to Burbank once again, and he did all of this while threading the needle between highlights on the billionaire's social3:19
  23. calendar as just 11 days later he flew down to LA for the Super Bowl.3:26
  24. Across January, Bezos' lifestyle called for his G650s to fly 29 ,000 miles, or 46 ,000 kilometers in total, which is roughly equivalent to flying between Seattle and Sydney four3:30
  25. times.3:40
  26. To fuel this extent of travel, his jets used about 24 ,838 gallons or 94 ,022 liters of fuel, which could otherwise be used to propel the largest passenger aircraft3:41
  27. in the world, an E380, across the Atlantic from D .C.3:51
  28. to London with 500 passengers aboard.3:55
  29. But Bezos' travel is indicative of the way that market analysts think ultra -luxury travel is heading.3:58
  30. You see, two phenomena are crashing head -on to each other to throw the industry into turmoil.4:04
  31. First, more people are getting wealthy than ever, as money is becoming increasingly consolidated at the top, and second, merely wealthy people are traveling less frequently than in years past4:09
  32. but spending more than ever.4:19
  33. Data indicate that prior to COVID, Americans spent an average of $4 ,871 on a trip to Greece, but now it's all the way up to $6 ,561.4:21
  34. Airline executives have also jubilantly noted that first and business class revenue is remarkably strong despite the continued weakness in the traditionally lucrative business travel segment, mostly thanks to leisure4:31
  35. travelers opting to pay the premium for more luxurious travel at a greater rate than ever.4:42
  36. In New York City, the ultra -luxury hotel market is set to be booming, with all -time high prices and occupancy rates, and new super -premium properties opening faster than4:46
  37. ever.4:55
  38. Summer 2022 saw the opening of the highly anticipated Amman, New York, with the cheapest room starting at $2 ,600 at night, but more regularly pricing in the three or4:56
  39. four thousands.5:05
  40. Five years ago, the Amman's sister property, the Utah Desert Resort known as Amangiri, started at $1 ,400 a night, but these days that's doubled to $2 ,800 a night,5:07
  41. and even with dynamic pricing charging a hefty premium for the most attractive dates, plenty of nights are regularly sold out even many months in advance.5:16
  42. And of course, for those lucky enough to get a booking at resorts like the Amangiri, they need a way to get there so it's no wonder why 2021 saw5:25
  43. an all -time record -high number of private jet flights, 3 .3 million globally.5:32
  44. This tremendous growth was in large part enabled by the propagation of the on -demand charter business model.5:38
  45. Companies like Wheels Up, NetJets, and XO have revolutionized the industry by simplifying one -off charters of private jets, which makes the means of travel far more achievable for the5:44
  46. twice -a -year wealthy leisure traveler.5:53
  47. These private jets are serviced by fixed -based operators, which essentially act as private terminals for hire, and these are also observing record traffic, leading to more FBOs being developed,5:54
  48. which is pushing up prices for airport real estate and hangars to an all -time high as well.6:04
  49. So, as the industry has grown as large as ever, it's simultaneously more expensive than ever and more frustrating than ever to get access to a private jet.6:08
  50. Essentially, across the ultra -luxury travel segment, there's a capacity crunch.6:17
  51. More people than ever are willing to pay more for a night in a top hotel than most do for a month of rent, or more for a two -hour6:22
  52. private flight than most pay for their cars.6:28
  53. The pace of industry growth is outmatched by the growth in demand for the segment.6:32
  54. The incredible consequence is that the super -wealthy have pushed the ultra -wealthy out from their traditional stomping grounds.6:36
  55. There simply are not publicly available travel experiences expensive and exclusive enough for the wealthiest of the wealthiest anymore, so they're essentially turning to private everything.6:43
  56. Yachts fulfill this need well.6:54
  57. They allow the ultra -rich to travel on their own terms, bringing the quality of accommodations they expect to wherever they want to go, largely regardless of outside demand.6:56
  58. But where they want to go is still largely dictated by that billionaire's calendar, so each fall, as the temperatures in the med drop and the final summer events finish7:05
  59. up, a maritime migration begins.7:13
  60. Some of the super -yachts push off the dock with pair -down crews to begin the lengthy transatlantic passage under their own power, and while most yachts are capable of7:16
  61. taking on most ocean crossings, it's an expensive, impractical, and dangerous endeavor.7:24
  62. That's why these exist—yacht carrying ships.7:30
  63. These ships work year -round connecting the world's yachting hot spots, but in the fall and spring, it's all about the transatlantic migration.7:34
  64. So, at the end of the med season, a deluge of vessels descend on yachting humps like Genoa Italy and Palma de Marica Spain to load up on one of7:42
  65. these vessels, their owners paying up to $100 ,000 for the convenience.7:49
  66. Upon arrival in the Caribbean, their owners can once again access their yachts, providing convenient access to winter events like Art Basel Miami and New Years on St.7:54
  67. Barthes.8:02
  68. As with every other segment of the industry, however, the Supriya industry is growing faster than ever, meaning what was previously a refuge from the constraints of land is finding8:03
  69. itself increasingly stuck out at sea.8:11
  70. Take, for instance, a berth at the yacht club de Monaco.8:14
  71. First and foremost, it'll cost you.8:17
  72. During the summer season, a night will cost the shortest vessels $275, but if you'd like to dock the same boat during the Monaco Grand Prix, the price skyrockets to8:20
  73. over $16 ,500 a night.8:29
  74. To get one of the few spots that can fit the largest 60 or 70 meter vessels, it'll cost $73 ,000 a night, but even then, the clubhouse building blocks8:32
  75. the view of the track, so to actually see the race, this fee includes access for two to the building itself.8:41
  76. But cost is hardly the issue here.8:47
  77. Rather, it's club membership, which requires that you were first sponsored by a member, then approved by the admissions committee.8:49
  78. Once in, to secure a spot during the med season, berth reservations have to be booked months in advance.8:55
  79. But for the only event that parallels the Grand Prix in exclusivity, the yacht show, just getting a berth is only half the battle.9:01
  80. When showing your Supriya off to other attendees, the best spot to dock is here, across the way, so onlookers can take in the full profile of the vessel rather9:07
  81. than just its rear.9:15
  82. But getting these spots requires first that the yacht is too long to fit a traditional spot, and that you or your captain has a strong relationship with the event9:17
  83. directors, relationships that take years to form.9:25
  84. Navigating these busy waters is an expensive pain.9:29
  85. Supriyat ownership in general is an expensive pain.9:33
  86. Yachts don't generally get someone from one place to the next efficiently at all.9:36
  87. On the open ocean, they're generally unpleasantly bumpy rides, and yearly costs generally average around 10 % of the boat's value.9:40
  88. Yet, across the board, no matter the length, sales only continue to rise.9:47
  89. Anecdotally, the deals cut on the decks of these behemoth boats, and the valuable relationships curated at yacht club bars, are said to make the investment worth it.9:53
  90. As one new yacht owner told the New Yorker, one deal secured on board will pay it all back many times over.10:01
  91. So, increasingly, the yacht is now perceived as a necessary component of the billionaire social calendar, meaning the same way the wealthiest few are feeling about private aviation and ultra10:08
  92. -luxury hotels now extends to the yachting world as well.10:17
  93. In response, the ultra -wealthy are getting more creative.10:21
  94. Over the past five years, just as overall sales and Supriyat builds have risen, the number of Supriyats over 40 meters being refitted has nearly doubled.10:25
  95. More often than not, refitting means a visit to a boatyard for minor alterations.10:34
  96. Sometimes though, these refits are major, which reflects a growing trend, the rise of the expedition yacht.10:38
  97. With traditional waters busier than ever and the experiential economy as big as ever, billionaires are rebuilding and buying Supriyats capable of taking on more adventurous trips, be it sojourns10:44
  98. into the Arctic, or lengthy remote prowls across the Pacific.10:54
  99. At the extreme end of this trend is a former Soviet icebreaker now rebuilt as an equally tough and luxurious expedition yacht called Legend.10:57
  100. On the other, experiential yachting firms have popped up that create World War II battle simulations in the Pacific for board kids or set up temporary restaurants on sandbars in11:05
  101. the middle of the Maldives.11:13
  102. The trend towards exploration and expedition isn't just a Supriyat thing, either.11:15
  103. At the same time that increasingly numerous millionaires are pushing the ultra -wealthy away from their old stops, the interest in and social value of unique experiences is pulling billionaires11:19
  104. to services offering one -of -a -kind adventures, from up -close guerrilla safaris in Rwanda to luxurious overland treks to the South Pole.11:29
  105. These luxe petitions, as they're called, are individually curated by companies like Brown and Hudson to push their guests through bare grills -like experiences in frigid winter conditions before they11:36
  106. escape to tents with heated floors and Michelin -star -worthy food waiting on them.11:45
  107. Their goal is that the trip, in their words, is seared into the participant's memory.11:49
  108. And if the extreme outdoors isn't of interest, Brown and Hudson offer the opportunity to travel like James Bond to live a few days like someone else entirely or go11:54
  109. off on a globe -trotting grand tour.12:01
  110. For the ultra -wealthy, the options are really endless.12:04
  111. As long as it's legal, said one representative of a referral -only travel service, they'll do anything for a client.12:07
  112. But spoke traveling for the billionaire class is booming, and as long as the traveler gets a good story out of the experience, with the ability to brag about visiting12:14
  113. the Salar Yondi Desert in Bolivia or the most rural reaches of Sudan before any of their friends, they'll keep paying well into the hundreds of thousands for it.12:21
  114. But of course, the true top of the market is what we don't know about yet.12:30
  115. Increasingly, wealthy people are traveling to be seen, either in person or on social media.12:35
  116. In response, ultra -wealthy people are increasingly traveling to disappear, as reflected in the record sales of secluded $30, $40, and $50 million vacation homes in places like Hawaii, Colorado,12:41
  117. and the Caribbean.12:51
  118. We don't have a great sense of the ins and outs of the most expensive travel experiences because the secrecy is part of the premium itself.12:52
  119. By the time we do, the top of the wealth pyramid will have moved onto something else, always staying one step ahead of the merely wealthy.13:00
  120. If you want to learn more about the yachting world and specifically how builders are managing to design ever larger and more luxurious yachts, I'd recommend checking out this episode13:09
  121. of the show Ultimate Processes on CuriosityStream.13:17
  122. Tens of thousands of Wendover viewers are already subscribed to CuriosityStream, but for those of you who aren't yet, the good news is that it's actually a really good deal13:20
  123. when signing up through our link because that also gets you access to Nebula for free.13:29
  124. Nebula is a streaming site founded by myself and a bunch of other creators that Wendover viewers likely already watch, and as a creator -owned and operated platform, it was13:34
  125. designed from the ground up to be the best home to the stuff we make.13:42
  126. For example, by losing the ad -supported model, we're able to make videos on more niche subjects that we know would appeal to our core audience, but potentially not to13:45
  127. the size of audience that would make it profitable on YouTube.13:52
  128. We're also able to make higher -budget stuff, called Nebula Originals.13:55
  129. We at Wendover have made all these, each of which is some of our best stuff.13:58
  130. You'd probably be blown away by the price if it was just for that, but it's not because the cheapest way to get access to Nebula, as I mentioned, is14:02
  131. through CuriosityStream.14:09
  132. When you all go to curiositystream .com .com slash Wendover and sign up for any of their subscriptions, they'll throw in a Nebula subscription completely for free.14:10
  133. That means you get access to all of the exclusive stuff we've made at Wendover, half as interesting and jet -lagged the game, plus all the exclusive stuff the 15014:18
  134. other Nebula creators have made, plus the entire massive top -quality CuriosityStream catalog of non -fiction shows and documentaries.14:25
  135. To get all of this for a year, all you have to do basically is not eat one cheeseburger, or at least one overpriced cheeseburger.14:32
  136. That's because when you head to curiositystream .com slash Wendover, the annual subscription to CuriosityStream is just $14 .79 a year right now, and again, that includes a free subscription14:39
  137. to Nebula, which helps support us and loads of other independent creators.14:49
  138. So, click the button on screen or head over to curiositystream .com slash Wendover, and thanks in advance for your support.14:53

American accent training with a C1 narration on how the ultra wealthy travel

This clip is a single narrator explaining, in American English, how people worth at least thirty million dollars structure their year around a shared social calendar. It sits at C1, and the voice moves fast, 198 words per minute, faster than 60% of the clips in this catalogue, so there is little room to drift between sentences. That makes it solid english listening practice for anyone who wants to follow dense factual narration rather than a slow, scripted conversation.

Nothing here is small talk. The lines stack statistics, place names and event names one after another: St. Barthes, the Super Bowl, Aspen, the Masters, Cannes, Monaco, Wimbledon, Venice, Art Basel. That density is exactly what makes it worth shadowing this narration clip rather than skimming it: you have to keep pace with facts, not drift through a story.

How to pronounce english words for the numbers and rare terms in this script

The opening leans on figures and uncommon vocabulary rather than casual phrasing, so it is a useful place to practise saying numbers and technical terms clearly instead of mumbling past them.

  • "Such individuals, referred to as ultra -high net worth, represent about 0 .0037 % of the human population yet they hold about a third $35 trillion of the world's wealth." The line packs a percentage and a dollar figure back to back, so the challenge is giving each number its own stress instead of rushing the whole clause.
  • "Therefore, it's no wonder why a massive global industry exists fully centered on supporting the pneumatic lifestyles of the world's wealthiest $295 ,000." The rare word "pneumatic" sits mid sentence with no pause around it, which is where most learners swallow it.
  • "Spring starts with the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, while May includes the Caen Film Festival and the conveniently close Monaco Grand Prix." Four proper nouns in one sentence, said at speed, with "while" as the only signal that a new item has started.

A line by line english speaking practice plan for this Wendover Productions clip

Work through the opening in order rather than jumping around, since the narrator builds from a single statistic up to a full calendar.

  • Start with line 1, "There are roughly 295 ,450 people with at least $30 million." It is short and slower to enter, a warm up before the pace picks up.
  • Take line 2 next and break it at its commas: "ultra -high net worth", then "0 .0037 %", then "$35 trillion". Say each piece on its own before joining them back into the full sentence.
  • Loop line 3 until "pneumatic" and "$295 ,000" come out cleanly, this is the line most likely to trip you up on a first pass.
  • Chain lines 9 through 14 as one unit, one event per breath: St. Barthes, the Super Bowl, Aspen, the Masters, Cannes, Monaco, Henley, Wimbledon, Venice, Art Basel. Matching the narrator's rhythm here is the real test of this clip.
  • Finish on line 17, "as an exclusive space made available only to wealthy people who want to socialize with other wealthy people." The tone shifts here from listing facts to explaining them, a natural point to slow down and repeat until the phrasing feels natural.
Download on the App Store