History Main / RichKidTurnedSocialActivist

* Zig-zagged in the ''Series/{{NUMB3RS}}'' episode "Tabu". An heiress joins up with an underground anti-capitalist organization, but Megan deduces that she's just using the group to lash out at her billionaire father and doesn't really care about the underlying cause.

* Tabby of ''WebVideo/ContraPoints'' is a representation of the stereotypical left-wing activist UsefulNotes/{{furry|fandom}} {{transgender}} woman ([[StealthPun her nickname even comes the Sabo-Tabby]]), and implicitly has (or prior to transitioning had) the same upper-middle-class background as most of Natalie Wynn's characters. Deconstructed in that she has difficulty explaining anything without obtuse academic jargon, and gets criticised for starting violence that she might not be as likely to suffer the consequences of (since despite being trans and dressing as a CatGirl, she's still upper class, white, and passes well).

[folder:Anime & Manga]]

Some of them might be SecretlySelfish types who do it for PR or who tell themselves that GoodFeelsGood, but they still invoke/exploit the notion of this trope. Still others may be doing it purely to annoy and defy their parents.

* ComicBook/GreenArrow started off as, at best, a "limousine liberal" until writer Dennis O'Neil introduced a story-line in which Oliver Queen lost his fortune. A few nights on the street dealing with the social services net from the bottom radically altered Green Arrow's politics, leading to him becoming an outspoken champion of the poor and oppressed, as a cross between Robin Hood and Abbie Hoffman.

* The prequel movies of the ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'' emphasize this for Charles Xavier. He was born into immense wealth and grew up into the academic Ivory Tower. However, he devotes his life and resources to being a refuge for mutants, particularly underage mutants who have been turned away from their homes and families. Across the series, he is on a quest to ensure equal rights for mutants and a peaceful civilization for all.

* ''Film/{{Julia}}'': Julia comes a wealthy family, but hates living with them due to her belief in social justice. Later, she drops out of university, forgoing a medical career, in order to join the anti-fascist movement.

* Jeffrey in ''Film/TwelveMonkeys '' is the son of a wealthy pharmaceutical company owner. It's debatable how much good he accomplishes since he's also crazy.[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'', Ilmeni Dren is the daughter of Vedam Dren, the duke of Vvardenfel and head of the wealthy House Hlaalu. She lives in a simple apartment, and is one of the most prominent opponents of slavery in Vvardenfel.

* Tabby of ''WebVideo/ContraPoints'' is a representation of the stereotypical left-wing activist UsefulNotes/{{furry|fandom}} {{transgender}} woman ([[StealthPun her nickname even comes the Sabo-Tabby]]), and implicitly has (or prior to transitioning had) the same upper-middle-class background as most of Natalie Wynn's characters. Deconstructed in that she has difficulty explaining anything without obtuse academic jargon, and gets criticised for starting violence that she might not be as likely to suffer the consequences of (since despite being trans and dressing as a CatGirl, she's still upper class, white and passes well).

[[folder:Web Original]]
* The scary-looking punk girl in [[https://notalwaysright.com/judge-a-sandwich-on-its-filling/76326/ this]] story from ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'' turns out to be a kindhearted spirit from a wealthy family, who buys sandwiches and coffee for homeless locals from a neighborhood coffee shop and stuffs hundreds in the tip jar so the baristas can go to college. When asked, she explains that she just finds face-to-face interaction more fulfilling than signing checks to charities.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* The scary-looking punk girl in [[https://notalwaysright.com/judge-a-sandwich-on-its-filling/76326/ this]] story from ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'' turns out to be a kindhearted spirit from a wealthy family, who buys sandwiches and coffee for homeless locals from a neighborhood coffee shop and stuffs hundreds in the tip jar so the baristas can go to college. When asked, she explains that she just finds face-to-face interaction more fulfilling than signing checks to charities.
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Compare/contrast with RichIdiotWithNoDayJob and CrimefightingWithCash. Contrast RevolutionariesWhoDontDoAnything - those who say that they're "agent of change" and yet do nothing meaningful, while here, the rich kid actually does something to improve the society, hands-on.

** Harry's dad James was one such member of the Order.

* ''Theatre/{{Ragtime}}'': After a life of RichBoredom, the "Brother" of the play's archetypal wealthy white family finds a purpose for his life when he happens to stumble into a socialist rally led by activist Emma Goldman, a HistoricalDomainCharacter. Her speech awakens him to the reality of race and class struggles in early 20th Century New York, and he abandons his family and life of comfort to join the revolt led by black protagonist Coalhouse Walker.

* Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}. He started life as a wealthy prince, sheltered from the world until he one day got the opportunity to go on a carriage ride, where he saw many people suffering. This upset him, and he renounced his pampered royal life to become an ascetic. After much meditation, he came to the conclusion that most of the suffering he saw was due to people's greed and materialism, and that the way to attain freedom from suffering was to detach oneself from one's material possessions, earthly relationships, etc. He gained quite a few followers, in his lifetime and beyond.

This character is usually a young idealistic kid from a wealthy background who takes a hands-on approach to helping the poor and helpless. Their family are filthy rich, but this kid is very well aware of their privilege and they desperately want to balance social injustices. They try to use their money to help the poor, the homeless, the addicted, the ill, orphans and abandoned kids, and other people in need. They may be involved in various charity projects but most importantly, they'll be interacting with those in need personally. They'll organize charity drives, they'll buy them food and clothes and toys and medicine and distribute it all in person. With smiles and immense emotional support.

Helping people ''[[RuleOfEmpathy with faces]]'' (and sometimes names) will [[PetTheDog look better to the audience]], regardless of efficiency. If a wealthy character never donates any money to charity, but sneaks out every night in disguise to volunteer at a soup kitchen, it serves to humanize him more than donating money to an anonymous charity organization, even if that would actually help more people. This might be justified if their wealth comes from parents who don't want to donate to charity - the rich kid might not have access to any money they could donate, so volunteering might be the only way they can help.

* Julie Mao from ''Series/TheExpanse'' and [[Literature/TheExpanse the novels]] the show is based on. She was born into one of the wealthiest families on Earth but had no interest in the lavish lifestyle of her peers. In college she joined the student activist group Far Horizons Foundation, which eventually led to her joining the Outer Planets Alliance. The OPA is a decentralized movement with [[YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters an ambiguous reputation]] that fights for the rights of Belters, who are largely under the heel of Earth and Mars.

* ''Series/BabylonBerlin'': Maria-Luise Seegers, the daughter of Major General Kurt Seegers, is a full-on communist who wants nothing to do with her father's right-wing, militaristic beliefs, or the conservative elite high society he runs with. She spends her time studying law and civil rights, and volunteers as a clerk at a left-wing legal charity.

* Tabby of ''WebVideo/ContraPoints'' is a representation of the stereotypical left wing activist UsefulNotes/{{furry|fandom}} {{transgender}} woman ([[StealthPun her nickname even comes the Sabo-Tabby]]), and implicitly has (or prior to transitioning had) the same upper-middle class background as most of Natalie Wynn's characters. Deconstructed in that she has difficulty explaining anything without obtuse academic jargon, and gets criticised for starting violence that she might not be as likely to suffer the consequences of (since despite being trans and dressing as a CatGirl, she's still upper class, white and passes well).

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kropotkin Peter Kropotkin]], Anarcho-Communist activist, writer and philosopher who was born a prince, a descendant of the Smolensk branch of the Rurik dynasty who ruled Russia prior to the Romanovs. Kropotkin's father owned large tracts of land and nearly 1,200 male serfs in three provinces. Kropotkin himself, however, dropped his princely title by age 12, expressed great concern over the treatment of peasants and serfs through his youth, and spent a portion of his adult years spreading revolutionary propaganda before finally writing [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conquest_of_Bread The Conquest of Bread]], a classic of anarchist literature.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Bakunin Mikhail Bakunin]], a Russian anarchist whom Kropotkin took some inspiration from (though they differed at times) came from a noble family but had become radicalized as a university student, adopting socialism and then anarchism, becoming a life-long revolutionary. Due to this, the Russian Tsar stripped him of his land and titles (not that Bakunin likely cared). He played a leading role in the Prussian May Uprising, for which he was sentenced to death, but spared so the Russian government could take custody of him for advocating revolution against them. Bakunin languished in Russian prisons, suffering greatly until being exiled to Siberia. From there he escaped, took a ship back to Europe and lived in exile there for the rest of his life, where he advocated collectivist anarchism by revolutionary violence.

* Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}. He started life as a wealthy prince, sheltered from the world, until he one day got the opportunity to go on a carriage ride, where he saw many people suffering. This upset him, and he renounced his pampered royal life to become an ascetic. After much meditation, he came to the conclusion that most of the suffering he saw was due to people's greed and materialism, and that the way to attain freedom from suffering was to detach oneself from one's material possessions, earthly relationships, etc. He gained quite a few followers, in his lifetime and beyond.

Helping people ''[[RuleOfEmpathy with faces]]'' (and sometimes names) will [[PetTheDog look better to the audience]], regardless of efficiency. If a wealthy character never donates any money to charity, but sneaks out every night in disguise to volunteer at a soup kitchen, it serves to humanize him more than donating money to an anonymous charity organization, even if that would actually help more people.

''Series/BabylonBerlin'': Maria-Luise Seegers, the daughter of Major General Kurt Seegers, is a full-on communist who wants nothing to do with her father's right-wing, militaristic beliefs, or the conservative elite high society he runs with. She spends her time studying law and civil rights, and volunteers as a clerk at a left-wing legal charity.

%% ** Harry's dad James was one such member of the Order.

* "The Power To Believe" by The Dream Academy (best remembered for its instrumental version in ''Film/PlanesTrainsAndAutomobiles'') is about a man "born and raised in privilege" who had everything handed to him on a silver platter and foregoes any sort of higher education to make the world a better place for those less fortunate than him. Unfortunately, it proves to be too much for him to handle and he soon goes crawling back to his life of comfort.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abigail_Disney Abigail Disney]] (the grandniece of Creator/WaltDisney), who has publicly criticized the working conditions at Disneyland and the hugely disproportionate compensation of Disney CEOs.