In our society, we have a unique obsession with following the “lifestyles of the rich and famous.” There are TV shows and websites and magazines that focus on the homes and wardrobes and parties of the wealthy and well-connected. And so many of us like to take a sneak peek into this world that we will never experience in real life.

Back before the pandemic, sociologist Ashley Mears wrote a book titled Very Important People: Status and Beauty in the Global Party Circuit that shared insider details on the parties of the super-rich. Mears got access to the most exclusive parties on earth because before she became a sociologist, she was a model who was invited to all these parties. So when she writes about the party culture among the super-rich, she knows what she’s talking about. 

According…