What do insanely wealthy people buy, that ordinary people know nothing about?

I know one person whose net worth is probably over 500 million USD. He lives next door, has two small 'cross-over' SUVs that are both over two years old, and a 10 year old full-size pickup truck. He owns a twin-engine fixed wing aircraft and a Robinson helo. He claims that his largest expenditure over the last four or five years, other than his oldest child's college education, was going to full glass cockpits for both of his aircraft. He does much of the landscaping and house maintenance, but I noted he called in some contractors to replace his front windows. Last week, he sent his two younger kids over to help me unload materials from my truck. We exchange apples (his trees are different types), and has collected seed from fruit of my tangelo and nectarine trees and is trying to build a small orchard because he does not want to waste money on the "garbage plants at home depot". And he is home schooling his two youngest and wants to hire me as a math and science tutor, but have decided to trade tutoring time for a puppy or two from the forthcoming litters of his sheppard and rottie dogs - but we are still negotiating that transaction. But his most awe-inspiring possession is his work shop - almost every damn power and hand tool that can be had and wonderful three-inch thick butcher block work benches (I bought two of his old steel benches when he installed his new work benches). And freaking real dead-tree books, probably several thousand. I have saved 100s of USD on sci-fi books because he gives them to me as his wife will not allow those type of books on her shelves (thank goddess for her 'discriminating taste').

Private jets, political access, collector art, celebrities for private performance are known things. I was expecting some form of transactions or commodities that weren't thought to exist.

Never tell anyone you're rich: it makes you a target and it infects relations with other people. Warren Buffett-style Drive a Toyota and shop at Marshall's. Yes you should have surveillance and protection people shadow you at a distance for kidnap and other threat risk mitigation but never too close or obviously.

People with an abundance of money are prone to be being swept away by a gradient vector field of ego and accumulate views that diverge strongly from other's reality due to a lack of equal inputs and situational concerns. Also, other people tend to treat them differently (dishonesty) as well.

It's like I don't understand how a former colleague was able to transition from grad student to wife of decabillionaire. Maybe it didn't register or make a difference to them, which I hope is the case.

In reality, money cannot buy happiness, real love, or real friends directly, it only increases options and freedom.

If you want a glimpse into the Chocolate Factory, find someone in ASW who goes to the events and read Felix Dennis' most popular book. Or startup exit and join it. :)