Being (very) rich on TikTok The case of Becca Bloom, who has gained millions of followers in just a few months

Maybe, while scrolling on TikTok, you came across a video of a young woman plating her cat’s breakfast on a Versace dish, choosing from a range of delicacies cooked by her private chef. That girl is most likely Becca Bloom, now reigning over what’s known as #RichTok, the very wealthy side of TikTok. Between limited-edition Van Cleef jewels (the brand invited her and her parents to a private gala in Capri for only 20 clients worldwide) and Hermès hauls, Becca Bloom stands out from the sea of content creators for one simple reason: she doesn’t flaunt being rich, she just is.

Who is Becca Bloom

Rebecca Ma - her real name - is 25 years old and grew up in what’s considered the wealthiest zip code in the United States: Atherton, California, where the average home price is $7.95 million. Her parents (of Chinese origin) made their fortune in tech and real estate, while she earned a degree in economics from USC and works (yes, really!) in finance. She was born ultra-wealthy, has a well-paid job, and a soon-to-be husband who’s just as wealthy - someone might say the rich just keep getting richer. And yet, Becca Bloom, or at least her social persona, combines extreme luxury with traits of an average person (she works every day, met her fiancé at a café), and it’s this blend of career woman, motivator, and it-girl that has won TikTok over.

Her TikTok breakthrough

After posting her first video on TikTok in January 2025 (with zero expectations, according to her), Becca Bloom gained 3.5 million followers in under six months. Those who’ve tried to explain her success point out how rare it is for “normal” people to see the lives of the mega-rich up close, and in a way that doesn’t feel staged. Bloom doesn’t try to be relatable, nor does she pretend to be like her followers: in a world where everyone competes to prove they’re wealthier or more influential, Becca Bloom casually drops lines like, “My mom just got back from Tokyo with her sales assistant for her shopping trip” and somehow, it doesn’t come off as snobby. Whether she’s aware of it or not, Bloom has perfectly captured the essence of #RichTok and claimed the crown: a soft, almost whispered voice; polished but understated visuals; a careful balance of intimacy and exclusivity; and a touch of (sometimes unintentional) humor that shows she doesn’t take herself too seriously, perhaps aware she lives light-years away from her audience’s reality.

Her content: fine dining and life lessons

With apparent ease, Becca Bloom invites her audience into a world of abalone breakfasts (one of the most expensive shellfish on the planet, FYI), smart casual office looks, and stories from a childhood shaped by rules and mantras aimed at building a successful and independent person. “I grew up with one rule. We didn’t clap for participation,” she told her followers in a video. “If you didn’t win, you didn’t get praise, you got a debrief. We talked about what worked, what didn’t, and what was next.” At home, two phrases were strictly forbidden: “I’m not good at this” and “It’s too late now.”

The criticism

Of course, Becca Bloom is not immune to criticism. While some praise her spontaneity, self-irony, and (apparent) lack of ulterior motives, others are much more skeptical. Let’s not sugarcoat it: despite never hiding or justifying her wealth, and working hard to build on it, Bloom represents a very privileged minority. “No one is riching right,” some users comment on TikTok, noting that there’s no ethical way to be rich. But the most frequent criticism? Bloom doesn’t use her privilege, at least publicly, to champion social causes that could benefit others. Her six-figure shopping sprees spark backlash, with critics suggesting that money could be better spent. The truth is, we only get to see a very curated slice of Bloom’s life, as is the case with all social media personalities. It’s still just a stage, and we’d do well to stop pretending otherwise.