Facebook's first 250 employees created a secret group where they discuss which yachts, Banksy pieces

July 2024 · 1 minute read
2015-09-01T13:32:10Z

In the tech world, even as money pours over Silicon Valley like a flood, conspicuous consumption can be frowned upon.

"If someone buys a fancy car and posts a picture of it, they get ridiculed and berated," an anonymous Facebook executive once told The New York Times.

But inside Facebook there is one secret group in which discussing what you plan to buy with all this new cash is embraced, Nick Bilton reports for Vanity Fair. That group is called T.N.R. 250, short for The Nouveau Riche 250, which is made up of Facebook's first 250 employees — many of whom became millionaires after Facebook went public.

T.N.R. 250 debates the merits of yachts. scottrsmith / Flickr

According to Bilton, this group debates the purchasing of boats, planes, Banksy portraits and other art, and tropical islands. Bilton says (to be fair) philanthropy is also discussed.

But if you have never heard of T.N.R. 250, it is probably because all this activity is kept behind closed doors and kept far away from any social networks, especially Facebook. For rich Facebookers, you have to walk the line between enjoying your new riches and keeping in line with Silicon Valley's anti-ostentatious vibe.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonynrcKemainm6h6tLHCq5ytZaSjv25%2BlGlkpqGcobawusCiqZ6rXZy%2FsMHPZmlpaWVihg%3D%3D