History Main / MockMillionaire

* Kramer on ''{{Seinfeld}}'' attempted multiple times to pull this off under the pseudonym H.E. Pennypacker.

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* There's a {{Will Eisner}} comic depicting a well-dressed couple on a dinner date at an expensive restaurant. When they go to their respective homes at the end of the date, each are revealed to be [[MockMillionaire Mock Millionaires]], and obviously unaware of each other's lack of wealth.
* In a comic version of 'Mickey's Rival', Mortimer turns out to be one of these.

[[folder:FairyTales]]
* The original "Puss in Boots" has the cat Puss convince the king his master is a nobleman.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''VirginNight'': Hiroki tries to pass himself off as a scion of a family of business bigwigs in "Nadeshiko Innocence", because he's so utterly ashamed of the fact that he's nearly the polar opposite (it may be implied in the beginning that he's a {{Ronin}}, but he might also or instead be a StarvingArtist in training, given all the sketches of Nanako), and can't bring himself to "afflict" Nanako with the truth.
* ''TheWorldGodOnlyKnows'': [[{{Tsundere}} Mio]] acts incredibly rich, because at one point she was, until her father died, leaving her poor. This is [[{{PlayedForDrama}} not very good for her financial, or emotional well being.]]
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* In ''TheCountOfMonteCristo'', the Count gets a disreputable old soldier and Benedetto, a career criminal, [[spoiler: and son of one of Dantes' enemies]] to pose as father and son and pretend to be wealthy Italian aristocrats. Dantes as the Count might also count (pardon the pun) -- he is legitimately wealthy, but he's posing as an aristocrat, although being familiar with the peerage, the other character know that the island of Monte Cristo doesn't have a count.

* "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant is about a woman who borrows a friend's diamond necklace for a party to pretend she's well-to-do but then loses it and spends the rest of her life trying to pay for a new one only to be later told it was fake.

* [[OceansEleven My name is Limon Zerga.]]

* ''Jose Curevo'' did an ad about "living the high life", which was this trope full stop.

* Played in SpongebobSquarepants, where Squilliam Fancyson pretends to be a MockMillionaire to bait Squidward, only to reveal he actually is rich.

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* The movie ''BlankCheck'' has its child protagonist invent a fictitious adult persona named Mr. Macintosh to serve as his "benefactor". The kid really ''does'' have a million dollars... it's just not his.

* In the movie ''{{Penelope}}'', a gambler named Max is recruited by a tabloid reporter to pose as an aristocrat in order to court Penelope, the reclusive daughter of a wealthy family who's secretly cursed.

[[AC:FairyTales]]
* The original "Puss in Boots" has the cat Puss convince the king his master is a nobleman.

* One episode of VeronicaMars introduces the richest kid in Neptune, who arrives to school in a limozine and lives in the biggest house in town. The twist ending is that he's the son of the butler, and thus is actually not rich.

* Inverted in ''{{ER}}'' when NonIdleRich Carter spent half a season pretending to be a debt-ridden med-student after he heard the girl he fancied mock the "rich doctors who looked down on them". His attempt to use a laundromat was... [[CrowningMomentOfFunny inspiring.]] [[{{Irony}} Then he managed to piss of his grandmother and became a bona fide poor med-student.]]

Contrast with KingIncognito as well as the more general SecretlyWealthy. See also PrincessForADay and IfIWereARichMan. Subtrope of PennyAmongDiamonds.

* Kramer in ''Seinfeld'' attempted multiple times to pull this off under the pseudonym H.E. Moneypacker.

A MockMillionaire is an ordinary person who is pretending to be someone who's rich, powerful, or otherwise highly influential. Maybe he's part of TheCon selling a GetRichQuickScheme, or an infatuated beau pursuing a SpoiledSweet gal, or caught up in a PrinceAndPauper or FawltyTowersPlot. Whatever the reason, expect the MockMillionaire to play the charade with displays of ConspicuousConsumption, casual references to [[SceneryPorn exotic places]], lots of MoneyToThrowAway, name-dropping the [[TheBeautifulPeople rich and powerful]], an UnlimitedWardrobe complete with [[HighClassGlass monocle]], and maybe "borrowing" a CoolCar or BigFancyHouse.

Contrast with KingIncognito as well as the more general SecretlyWealthy. See also PrincessForADay and IfIWereARichMan.

* In the movie ''Penelope'', a gambler named Max is recruited by a tabloid reporter to pose as an aristocrat in order to court Penelope, the reclusive daughter of a wealthy family who's secretly cursed.

Contrast with KingIncognito, where a wealthy person disguises himself as a lowly commoner. See also PrincessForADay and IfIWereARichMan.