Billionaires Are Still Hiring Butlers. This Is What It's Like

During a 10-week curriculum, students at one particular school in the Netherlands undergo training for a unique set of skills. In one lesson, they balance books atop their heads while holding a tray of wine glasses—trying to remain steady while being pelted with grapefruit-sized balls. The career they're preparing for doesn't expressly involve dodgeball, but requires a stiff lip and at times unpredictable clients (who aren't always above tantrums). The 30 to 50 students who graduate each year from the International Butler Academy will go on to serve the ultra-wealthy class that still employ—and desire—traditional butlers. Writing in the Economist, Will Coldwell visits TIBA to understand what a profession associated with Downton Abbey-era wealth looks like in the modern world.

One big difference in modern buttling (yes, that's the term): NDAs. In a digitally connected world, non-disclosure agreements are standard, and the emphasis on privacy starts before one is even hired (one person recounted being interviewed from behind a screen). Another change is who seeks the service of traditional butlers. Coldwell says demand is concentrated in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China, and among foreign nationals in Europe and America, who may depend on staff to navigate life abroad. But the discretion and commitment to service required of the largely unregulated job can create a culture of mistreatment once a butler joins a family. "You could get fired one morning because the wife didn't like her eggs," says Phillipa Smith, founder of recruiter Silver Swan. "And there's no protection. You can't sue a billionaire." Read the full story. (Or check out more longform recaps.)