SHARE:
'Facebook for the Filthy Rich'
You can join if you are worth $3 million or more.
It makes him feel like a teenager — not a successful 57-year-old business executive. "I'm having a ball," he said.
Smith's Web site of choice, Affluence.org, is free, but don't fire up that computer just yet.
It's a tad exclusive.
Membership requires a verified net worth of at least $3 million or an annual household income of $300,000. If you don't qualify, there is one other way to join: convince at least five wealthy folks to vouch for you.
"It's Facebook for the filthy rich," said Palm Harbor's Scott Mitchell, the site's founder, president and chief executive officer.
Launched in September, Affluence.org reports more than 20,000 members (apparently, the economic downturn hasn't hit the yacht club scene just yet).
The site's members are chief executives, celebrities, investors, magazine publishers, philanthropists and socialites from around the world, Mitchell said. Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner is among those with a profile, and Mitchell — who helped launch Rolling Stone's Web site — swears, "It's him."
The question is: Are all members legit?
"We do everything we can to make sure people are who they say they are," Mitchell said.
But, he confessed, "even if you talk to someone on the phone, you can't always verify it's him."
Prospective members are scrutinized via public record checks. Someone claiming to be George Clooney was rejected.
During signup, people must submit their name, birth date, gender, marital status, household income and household net worth. According to Mitchell, Affluence.org checks that information through multiple online data sources. If any red flags go up, applicants are asked to provide more information or get rejected.
Only one in 40 who apply is accepted, Mitchell said. Once in, members are screened regularly to verify they haven't fallen below the site's requirements.
