A Facebook for the financial elite is finally here. For any of you rich folk who are tired of having to connect with us mortals on social media, you now have a support group to voice all of your First World problems.
The social network is called Netropolitan and was launched Tuesday (today!). The company explains on their website that they’re a “global online community for affluent and accomplished individuals worldwide to socialize in a completely private and secure manner.” It doesn’t get more pretentious than that.
All cheap jokes aside, it’s no secret that social media platforms these days are inundated with a gross amount of noise; it’s only getting harder and harder to really form meaningful relationships online and connect with like-minded people. Perhaps founder James Touchi-Peters may be onto something?
The price to join this self-proclaimed “exclusive digital country club” is $9,000 upfront, followed by a $3,000-a-year membership due, so you must have the bankroll if you want to roll with the big boys. Another requirement is that you also need to be at least 21 to join.
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing James Touchi-Peters, where we discussed how he conceived of Netropolitan and what his plans were for his exclusive social network.
What was your business background before Netropolitan?
“I spent years as a composer and symphonic conductor. I started when I was just 13 years old. I have traveled all over the US, Canada and Europe conducting orchestras. I was the principal conductor at the Minneapolis Philharmonic Orchestra for nine years. In my travels, I socialized with the affluent, spending time at exclusive fundraisers and parties. We expect the same conversations from those events to be going on in Netropolitan.”
What were your personal experiences with social networking before you started Netropolitan?
“I created Netropolitan because I did not like all the advertising and was looking for a community where people shared my interests. Netropolitan.club is a chance to meet people within your social status but outside your social circle.”
Did you tell anyone about the idea before you launched the site? What was the feedback like?
“I did, and I will tell you not all of them were on board with the idea. But these same people have come to me now and told me they were wrong — that they would gladly pay this kind of money for a secure, private, ad-free environment.”
Do you have anyone else who’s a part of the team?
“We have a global team that has been working on Netropolitan for the past four years. We spent countless hours conducting market research before settling on the layout, design and privacy features.”
How did you come up with that exact price of $9,000 upfront and $3,000 a year?
“It was important that it be an amount substantial enough to vet members, as we will never ask for our members’ banking information.”
Aside from being a social network, are there any other services you’d like to offer as your user base grows?
“At this point, I haven’t even thought about anything beyond this. We have been focused on launching Netropolitan and making sure it is secure and private for our members.”
Do you have a specific demographic you’re looking to target aside from individuals with high net worth?
“The $9,000 initiation fee is used to vet our members. If you can pay that fee and behave appropriately in Netropolitan, you are more than welcome in our club.”
