A woman who rose to fame online for openly revealing the secrets of the super-rich has shed even more light on wealth and status.
Madison Van Doren, originally from Massachusetts, previously delighted TikTok by exposing the “strange” rules about money and reputation that were inculcated in her from a young age.
She has now spoken to FEMAIL about her upbringing, revealing how “wealth does strange things to people”.
The 26-year-old social media star said she now wants to expose the “flawed culture” of wealth, adding that she “can’t understand people who aspire to be a part of it [it].’
Madison Van Doren, originally from Massachusetts, previously delighted TikTok by exposing the “strange” rules about money and reputation that were inculcated in her from a young age
Her parents divorced before she started elementary school and she divided her time between her mother’s home in Colorado and her father’s in London
Speaking to FEMAIL, Madison said her family has lived in the United States since the 1700s.
She said: “I come from a long line of successful people and I’m proud of that. They helped build this incredible country and I’m honored to share their name.”
But after her parents divorced before she started elementary school, she divided her time between her mother’s home in Colorado and her father’s in London.
She delved further into her upbringing, saying, “Growing up, we never talked about money. Everything I know about the status of my family I have compiled myself over the years.
“When we were rich, I didn’t know about it. That’s the funny thing about “old money,” the older the family, the more time you have to lose it. In a culture that thinks it’s rude to talk about finances, it’s impossible to know.
“When I was a kid, our friends and neighbors had so much more than we did that I honestly thought we were poor… We could have pennies or millions, and I wouldn’t have a clue.”
At the age of 10, Madison secured an academic scholarship and left home to attend the same English boarding school as her mother.
She said: “Sure, I’ve flown first class on occasion, but my roommates have flown privately. I skied in Vail but they skied in Gstaad. It wasn’t until college that I realized that not everyone can afford to ski.
At the age of 10, Madison secured an academic scholarship and left home to attend the same English boarding school as her mother
The now 26-year-old (pictured as a child) said: “That’s the funny thing about ‘old money’, the older the family the more time you have to lose it.”
Madison has garnered a loyal legion of fans on Instagram and TikTok by sharing her candid insight – but admits it’s a far cry from what she grew up with
“A common misconception about wealth in this country is that it’s black and white. People act like you’re either poor or have a trust fund. That’s just not the case.
“The difference between a millionaire and a billionaire is much bigger than the difference between minimum wage and a six-figure salary. My family was somewhere in between. We didn’t have low incomes and we weren’t “never work again” rich.
Madison has garnered a loyal legion of fans on Instagram and TikTok by sharing her candid insight – but admits it’s a far cry from what she grew up with.
“I grew up in a very private culture. The work I do now is the opposite of how I grew up. Social media and public engagement of any kind were frowned upon.
“Even within the family, we rarely talk about “unpleasant” things. Manners and decency were paramount.”
She added: “I took part in the cotillon, I learned to waltz to set a table. Looking back, I was trained to be a good wife to a powerful man. But I saw firsthand the dangers of depending on men for money.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Madison (pictured as a child) said her family has lived in the United States since the 17th century
She has now opened up about her upbringing, revealing how “wealth does strange things to people”.
The social media star said she now wants to expose the “flawed culture” of wealth, adding that she “can’t understand people who aspire to be a part of it [it]’
“I swore I would never be. I’ve been financially independent since college and have struggled to build a successful career. I work hard every day to create a life I can be proud of and I hope one day I can share that with my own family.”
When asked about her motivation for creating the now infamous videos, she told FEMAIL, “I was inspired to make my videos after seeing the blatantly false information floating around about ‘old money’ on TikTok.
“I wanted to point out the absurdity of idolizing the rich and unfortunately many of my viewers misunderstood that. People treated my videos as educational and ambitious, which is the opposite of what I wanted.
“I love my family and where I come from. But I can’t understand people striving to be a part of my culture any more than dreaming about being born Chinese makes sense. We have no control over the family we are born into.”
Madison concluded, “Wealth does strange things to people. I know people in their 20s who can’t use a dishwasher. I’ve met middle-aged adults who throw tantrums worse than most toddlers.
“Too many women let themselves be bought off by wealthy men who treat them badly. People excuse bad behavior in exchange for money and financial security.
“It’s not ambitious. It’s a flawed culture with advantages and disadvantages like any other. When I saw it being misrepresented online, it inspired me to share my own experience.”