Why do billionaires have so many children if they’re not prepared to parent them?

Kim Kardashian’s revelation that she has five nannies for four children caused a ruckus. But the world of the ultra-wealthy throws up far more extreme approaches to childcare

“I have the best advice for women in business,” Kim Kardashian told Variety in 2022. “Get your fucking ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.”

The billionaire got a lot of flak for this comment but no one can accuse her of being a hypocrite. It takes serious graft to spin a sex tape into lasting fame and a business empire. That said, like many high-flyers who preach the importance of hard work, the Skims co-founder isn’t above outsourcing the less glamorous domestic labour. She has primary custody of the four kids she shares with her ex-husband, Kanye West, and, according to an interview with the Sunday Times, employs five nannies to take care of them: “One nanny on duty, four on rotation,” she said. Despite having more nannies than kids, she apparently still does the school run. And I bet she doesn’t turn up at the school gate with yoghurt on her shirt like I do.