Very Important People

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A sociologist and former fashion model takes readers inside the elite global party circuit of "models and bottles" to reveal how beautiful young women are used to boost the status of men. With million-dollar birthday parties, megayachts on the French Riviera, and $40,000 bottles of champagne, the world's wealthy have taken conspicuous consumption to new extremes. The author explores the exclusive nightclub and party scene—from New York City and the Hamptons to Miami and Saint-Tropez—unpacking the intricate economy of beauty, status, and money behind these lavish displays. Over eighteen months, she immerses herself in this world, crafting a captivating narrative that is sometimes humorous and at times heartbreaking. Clubs and restaurants pay promoters to recruit attractive young women to draw in affluent men, who spend lavishly on bottle service. These women enhance the status of men while exchanging their bodily capital for free drinks and a chance to socialize with the wealthy. Despite being invaluable assets in this circuit, they are often seen as undesirable for long-term relationships, with their worth constantly measured against men's wealth. This narrative reveals the troubling realities of extreme gender inequality in a seductive yet inequitable world.