The rich should beware their staff biting back

One of the many salacious details in Amazon Prime Video’s A Very Royal Scandal, a mini-series about Prince Andrew’s ill-fated interview with the journalist Emily Maitlis, is how rude the prince is to his staff. In the programme, he is routinely boorish, abrasive, abrupt and tells them to “fuck off”.

Although A Very Royal Scandal is a fact-based dramatisation, the prince’s behaviour is, according to numerous reports, well-grounded in reality. And, while Prince Andrew may be mired in scandal, there are numerous less tarnished celebrities and wealthy people whose staff are lining up to say that they’re terrible (or, occasionally, great) to work for. But are these terrible experiences typical?

“I’ve experienced a very broad range of relationships between HNWIs and their staff,” says George Dunn, director of private staffing agency Fairfax and Kensington, referring to high-net-worth individuals “In the inner sanctum of these vast homes, I’ve known housekeepers to virtually be treated like family, especially when helping raise the children of the principal.” Staff may be working closely with their principals for decades, helping them through divorce, disputes and depression.

Dunn says that “HNWIs who are very much in the public eye typically form a closer bond with their staff due to the very solitary nature of their fame.” With the lower-profile rich, the pressure is less and the relationship may be a more normal working one.

Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist with clients on Wall Street, says: “Things can go wrong when boundaries are blurred, expectations are unclear or when one party feels taken advantage of or disrespected.”

He says that the wealth and status imbalance can complicate the dynamic and that both parties should be aware of this. “It’s important to have clear expectations and professional boundaries to prevent misunderstandings or feelings of exploitation,” he says.

Of course, even apparently good relationships are no guarantee against publicity. Diana, Princess of Wales was, by all accounts a good employer to her butler, Paul Burrell. Nonetheless, he seems to have made a career out of being her confidant and, even now, 27 years after her death, is still serving up revelations for the tabloid press.

Not all disagreements with staff end with straightforward dirt-dishing, though. In November 2022, Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon, was the subject of a lawsuit from his housekeeper, Mercedes Wedaa. The lawsuit claimed, among other allegations, a series of petty restrictions around toilet access during long shifts. Bezos’s attorney denied the allegations.

In Ashlee Vance’s 2015 biography of Elon Musk, the author wrote that when Musk’s long-serving PA, Mary Beth Brown, asked for a raise, the billionaire told her to take two weeks off. He then did her duties himself, decided they weren’t a big deal and fired her on her return. Musk has disputed the story.

It can feel like we are in an era of staff dishing the dirt on employers. There may be a number of drivers behind this. One is the growth of the new elite — the so-called second Gilded Age — who are served by people ranging from poorly paid domestic staff to upper-middle-class managers. Another factor is that the tabloid social-media ecosystem means it has never been easier to leak information — and, because of technology, these leaks are often far better substantiated, for example, with video.

“With social media and a culture of oversharing there is a greater tendency for people to divulge secrets, whether personal or about others,” says Alpert.

What can the rich do about staff airing grievances in public? Not much. Confidentiality agreements might make disgruntled employees think twice, not least because they can affect future employability, but they won’t stop an aggrieved staff member or undo the immediate damage. “I’d advise great caution and discretion when discussing personal matters with staff and encourage creating an environment of trust but with awareness of the risks that come with modern communication platforms,” says Alpert.

The biggest bulwark against leaks remains ensuring you have a good, well-defined relationship with your staff and treat them as you’d like to be treated yourself. Of course, this won’t entirely insulate you from disgruntled ex-workers, but it will reduce the chances of leaks. Conversely, if you endlessly tell your employees to eff off, eventually some of them will — and they’ll be happy to dish the dirt on you. 

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This article is part of FT Wealth, a section providing in-depth coverage of philanthropy, entrepreneurs, family offices, as well as alternative and impact investment