Great Company with Jamie Laing

Episode: GSTAAD GUY: INSIDE THE MINDS OF THE ULTRA-RICH
Date: September 16, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Jamie Laing sits down with satirical social media sensation Gstaad Guy (aka Staad Guy), renowned for his incisive parody of the lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy. The conversation peels back the curtain on the rarefied world of generational privilege, explores why society is gripped by the spectacle of excess, and delves into Staad Guy's creative process, business ventures, and personal philosophy. Listeners are treated to jaw-dropping stories, candid career reflections, and honest musings about happiness, success, and the true drivers behind social fascination with the 0.0001%.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Who is Gstaad Guy? (05:37–11:04)

• Character Origins:
  Staad Guy’s persona ("Constance") is an exaggerated ambassador of ultra-high-net-worth culture, inspired by the Swiss billionaire enclave of Gstaad. Despite the specificity, the satire resonates globally.
• Social Media Satire:
  He creates content lampooning the bizarre priorities and customs among the über-rich, pointing out their obsession with 'excellence' in even the smallest minutiae—from watches and cars to grocery shopping.
• Dual Characters:
  Constance embodies tradition and iconic old money quirks; the cousin Colton (also Staad Guy's creation) is the Gen-Z, hyped-up, new money foil.

"I set out to make my character, Constance, this ambassador of all the values that a person in Staad would portray, of course by turning the dial a bit... obsessed with excellence in manners, ways of living, products."
— Staad Guy (08:32)

2. The Gstaad Lifestyle and "Punching Up" (11:04–17:03)

• Real-Life Inspirations:
  Many of Staad Guy’s traits stem from observing friends who, despite their privilege, complain about trivial inconveniences, inspiring viral content.
• Niche to Global:
  The character’s appeal transcends borders because, at its core, it’s a commentary on both the ridiculousness and allure of privilege.
• Punching Up:
  Staad Guy emphasizes satire aimed at those 'above' rather than marginalized groups, ensuring that those lampooned often feel flattered, not offended.

"Bullying up doesn't really exist normally. Bullying is only mean if there's something someone's insecure about… No one's insecure about having too much money."
— Staad Guy (21:24)

3. Unimaginable Wealth: Life in Gstaad (16:17–24:00)

• Everyday Excess:
  Gstaad's exclusivity means even minor purchases are staggeringly expensive: £45 burgers and hotel water bottles for £30.
• Absurd Anecdotes:
  COVID-era: Teens would book multi-week stays at £2,500/night hotels just to qualify for a pizza and burger—essentially £28,000 for a meal.

"They would get a hotel room for two weeks… just to get pizza… never even take the key from the reception."
— Staad Guy (23:24)

4. The World’s Obsession With Wealth (24:00–34:15)

• Material Aspiration:
  Jamie and Staad Guy reflect on how social media amplifies the myth that success equals material excess.
• Happiness & Contentment:
  The podcast explores the fleeting happiness attached to wealth and the far deeper contentment that comes from progress, problem-solving, and self-awareness.

"Money doesn’t buy happiness. The lack of money buys stress, anxiety, and difficulty… Once you pass the point of necessity, the ceiling gets higher every year, and it gets more and more ridiculous."
— Staad Guy (24:50)

• Philosophical Take:
  True happiness? Incremental progress and solving personal problems, not short-term pleasure or external milestones.

"Quick fixes make me feel pleasure, not happiness… Happiness lasts weeks and months. So solving problems that mean a lot to me makes me happy."
— Staad Guy (28:58)

5. Roots and Hustle: Staad Guy’s Backstory (36:00–41:06)

• Upbringing:
  Grew up in London with close family ties; middle child among two sisters.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit:
  Started selling sneakers at 13 to fund fun experiences, even paying for a trip to Disneyland as a uni student.
• On Failure and Grit:
  Early ventures failed (including a startup that went bankrupt), which Staad Guy credits for building resilience and understanding the value of grit.

"Grit is very important because nothing good gets handed to you easily...life can prescribe grit, and that’s probably the best prescription."
— Staad Guy (39:40)

6. Becoming a Creator: Risk, Rewards, and Going Viral (41:16–47:52)

• Transition from Corporate to Creator:
  Worked at Apple post-startup for stability, but eventually risked leaping into full-time content creation after his satirical videos and merchandise proved lucrative.
• The Power of Community:
  Sold out merch quickly despite a modest following, buoyed by highly affluent, engaged fans.

"My followers... are the highest concentration of high net worth followers in the world... Forbes a year later did an audit and realized I have the highest concentration of billionaires of any social media page globally."
— Staad Guy (46:57)

• Mentorship:
  Credits his boss Ashna at Apple for encouraging self-discovery via vision boards and supporting his risk-taking journey.

7. Debunking the All-In Entrepreneur Myth (48:23–50:10)

• Nuanced Advice:
  Both Jamie and Staad Guy refute online narratives urging everyone to quit their jobs and go ‘all in’—real success is iterative, risk-managed, and rarely extreme.
• Toxic Narratives:
  The mainstream glamorization of founder lifestyles can be misleading and harmful.

"Reality exists in nuance. Nothing is extreme.…there’s so much ‘founder porn’ online now that makes people think they should just drop everything and then they’ll get everything. But that’s not reality."
— Staad Guy (49:20)

8. Building a Brand: Poobel (50:10–52:49)

• Business Ventures:
  Staad Guy’s jewelry line, Poobel, features modular charm bracelets with motifs from "Staad Guy World"—jets, caviar, Pilates reformers, and more.
• Unique Collaborations:
  Loro Piana, highly exclusive even in the luxury world, collaborated with him for an instant sellout. Other fans include major celebrities like Lando Norris and Peggy Gou.

"We collaborated on an online exclusive shoe, and it sold out in like six hours… over 700 pairs at just under a thousand euros each."
— Staad Guy (52:28)

9. Staying Grounded and Future Plans (52:56–55:09)

• On Content Evolution:
  Staad Guy updates character profiles regularly by tracking real-world trends among the ultra-wealthy—paddle, cycling, luxury habits, etc.
• The Trendsetters:
  Observes that ultra-wealthy communities often set cultural trends because of their freedom and resources.

"A lot of trends actually end up starting with this ultra high net worth community of people who have a lot of free time on their hands to just chat and spread trends and buy random things."
— Staad Guy (55:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Ridiculousness of Wealth:
  "The cheapest burger you can get in Staad is like 50 francs… the only fast food in Staad."
  — Staad Guy (16:34)

• On His Characters’ Appeal:
  "People in this community rarely land as either character. On Sunday morning they're this poised, elegant Constance. Friday night they're this degenerate Colton. Angel and devil on the shoulders."
  — Staad Guy (10:50)

• On Happiness:
  "Solving problems that mean a lot to me makes me happy…incremental, not quick fixes."
  — Staad Guy (28:58)

• On Failure:
  "If you don't have that heartbreak…you think they come easy. Grit is very important because nothing good gets handed to you."
  — Staad Guy (39:40)

• On his Guinness World Record of Follower Net Worth:
  "Forbes a year later did an audit…highest concentration of billionaires...globally."
  — Staad Guy (46:57)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction to Gstaad Guy and Staad Satire: 05:37–11:04
• Life and Etiquette Among the Ultra-Rich: 11:04–17:03
• Stories from Gstaad—COVID, Pizza, and Privilege: 22:26–24:00
• Society’s Obsession with Wealth: 24:47–34:15
• Personal Philosophy on Happiness: 28:25–34:15
• Childhood, Hustle, and Early Failures: 36:00–41:06
• Quitting Corporate for Content Creation: 41:16–47:52
• Debunking the ‘All-In’ Entrepreneur Myth: 48:23–50:10
• Poobel Jewelry—Business and Branding: 50:10–52:49
• Trend Forecasting with Billionaires: 53:39–55:09
• Rapid Fire Closing Questions: 55:24–59:20

Memorable Rapid-Fire Answers (55:24–59:20)

• On Gratitude:
  "A genuine sign of gratitude always makes me very happy."
  — Staad Guy (55:31)
• Guilty Pleasure:
  "Chocolate mousse." (58:12)
• On Harshness:
  "Sometimes I'm harsh…with people I love the most. I need to work on that." (56:32)
• Something He Can't Let Go Of:
  "My teddy bear...I hope to never get rid of him." (57:20)

Recap and Reflections

Jamie and Jemima close by marveling at the sheer scale of the anecdotes (like the £28k pizza), discussing the public’s endless fascination with this unattainable world, and reinforcing the key theme: while the spectacle of wealth captivates, genuine happiness and meaning often stem from personal progress, connection, and gratitude.

For fans of sharp satire, cultural commentary, and behind-the-scenes insights into influencer entrepreneurship, this episode is a must-listen.