What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

While super-rich kids make for great TV subjects, their real lives, perspectives and ambitions are often shielded from the public. To learn more about them, we interviewed students at one of the most expensive secondary schools in the world, where fees come to 120,000 Swiss Francs (around €125,000) per year—and followed up with them five years later.

We started our research when these young people were studying together in the Swiss Alps, observing and interviewing them over 15 months. We asked about their backgrounds, thoughts on their school environment, and plans for the future. Five years later, we asked them about what had happened since they graduated, their daily lives, and their ambitions. At that point, most had finished their university studies and were starting their careers.

Certain features were universal—these young people came from extremely wealthy families in their own countries, and their parents had pushed them to study abroad, learn English and live a global lifestyle. However, their paths to joining the ranks of the global super-rich varied depending on where they were from and what they wanted to do with their lives.

Citizens of the world?

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