Top 7 TV shows where rich people get messy, greedy, and out of control
Top 7 TV shows where rich people get messy, greedy, and out of control
Behind the perfect homes and fancy parties, it’s nothing but secrets and scheming.
My wife and I just wrapped up “Your Friends and Neighbors” on Apple TV+, and wow, talk about a crash course in how messy, selfish, and downright entertaining rich people can be. Jon Hamm is incredible (you’ll see him a few times on this list), and the show left me wanting more of that same energy, where money and privilege only make the bad behavior worse. Luckily, streaming is full of shows that scratch that exact itch. So, if you’re in the mood for backstabbing, scandal, and power games played at the highest levels, here are seven of the best TV shows about rich people acting badly.
Top 7 drama TV shows on streaming about rich people behaving badly:
No. 7: ‘Billions’ (2016) | Paramount+
I’ve always been a Paul Giamatti fan, and watching him clash with Damian Lewis in “Billions” never gets old. The setup is simple enough: hedge fund billionaire Bobby Axelrod versus U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades. But the way these two circle each other, striking when the other least expects it, is what makes the show so addictive. One minute it’s courtroom strategy, the next it’s backroom deals worth billions. Their rivalry spills into marriages, friendships, and boardrooms, leaving a trail of wreckage behind. It’s smart, tense, and the perfect example of how much fun rich people behaving badly can be.
Billions
Shrewd, savvy U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod are on an explosive collision course, with each using all of his considerable smarts, power and influence to outmaneuver the other. The stakes are in the billions in this timely, provocative series.
No. 6: ‘Mad Men’ (2007) | AMC+
“Mad Men” nails the whole vibe of 1960s wealth and excess. Don Draper looks perfect on the outside, running ad campaigns that shape culture itself, but inside, he’s falling apart. The show is soaked in smoky bars, office cocktails, and gorgeous outfits that hide just how messy these people really are. Affairs blow up families. Power struggles rip through Sterling Cooper’s hallways. And every polished smile comes with a secret underneath. It moves at its own pace, so you’ve got to be patient, but there’s a reason why this show appears on many “best TV shows of all time” lists… it’s that good.
Mad Men
Set in 1960-1970 New York, this sexy, stylized and provocative drama follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising.
No. 5: ‘The Undoing’ (2020) | HBO Max
“The Undoing” is the kind of glossy, twisty drama that hooks you right away. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant play a wealthy Manhattan couple whose picture-perfect life starts to collapse after a brutal murder rocks their circle. One husband disappears. Secrets bubble up. Every new detail makes you second-guess what you thought you knew. It’s sleek and fast-moving, never letting you get too comfortable before pulling the rug again. And when the finale hits, you’ll be left questioning everything, right down to who you actually believed all along.
The Undoing
Grace and Jonathan Fraser are living the only lives they ever wanted. Overnight a chasm opens in their lives: a violent death and a chain of terrible revelations. Left behind in the wake of a spreading and very public disaster, Grace must dismantle one life and create another for her child and her family.
No. 4: ‘The White Lotus’ (2021) | HBO Max
I’ve always loved a good mystery, and “The White Lotus” puts its own spin on the whodunit. Each season starts with a body, then makes you wait until the finale to figure out who it is and how it happened. What keeps me coming back isn’t just the mystery, though. It’s the mix of sharp satire, gorgeous resort settings, and characters who are equal parts hilarious and unbearable. Mike White, who also created the criminally underrated “Enlightened,” reinvents the show every season (Hawaii, Sicily, and most recently, Thailand) and somehow makes each one feel fresh. It’s funny, tense, and way too real about class and privilege, which makes it one of my favorite shows, still releasing new seasons.
The White Lotus
Follow the exploits of various guests and employees at an exclusive tropical resort over the span of a week as with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s cheerful employees and the idyllic locale itself.
No. 3: ‘Sirens’ (2025) | Netflix
“Sirens” is one of those shows that had me hooked just from the setup. Devon (Meghann Fahy) thinks she’s pulling her sister Simone (Milly Alcock) out of a bad situation, but what she walks into is something much darker. Simone’s boss, Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore), isn’t just rich and powerful… she’s built an entire world around herself on her island estate, and once you’re there, it’s hard to escape her orbit. The whole story plays out over a single Labor Day weekend, which makes it feel like a pressure cooker that just keeps heating up. Secrets spill, loyalties shift, and every conversation feels like it could turn dangerous at any second. It’s sharp, a little twisted, and full of the kind of wealth-soaked drama that makes you lean in closer even when you know you should look away.
Sirens
Worried about her sister’s too-close relationship with her billionaire boss, a scrappy everywoman seeks answers at a lavish seaside estate.
No. 2: ‘The Girlfriend’ (2025) | Prime Video
My wife and I just started “The Girlfriend,” and early returns are that it’s gonna be epic. Robin Wright plays Laura, a wealthy mom who seems to have it all until her son brings home Cherry, played by Olivia Cooke. On the surface, Cherry looks like a sweet new girlfriend from a totally different world, but Laura isn’t buying it. What follows is a twisted power game wrapped up in class tension, suspicion, and some very sharp manipulation. So far, every scene makes me wonder who’s telling the truth and who’s just playing the long con. I can’t wait to find out.
The Girlfriend
Laura has it all: a glittering career, a loving husband, and her precious son, Daniel. But her perfect life unravels when Daniel brings home Cherry, a girlfriend who changes everything. After a tense introduction, Laura becomes convinced Cherry is hiding something. Is she a manipulative social climber, or is Laura just paranoid? The truth is a matter of perspective.
No. 1: ‘Your Friends and Neighbors’ (2025) | Apple TV+
I just finished “Your Friends and Neighbors,” and while the tone felt a little on the nose at first, once I settled into it, I was completely pulled in. Jon Hamm stars as Coop, a disgraced hedge fund guy who decides the best way to keep up appearances is by robbing his wealthy friends and neighbors. What starts as a clever heist setup turns into a dark look at life inside Westmont Village, with important questions about status, wealth, and if running the “rat race” is really worth it. The cast makes it all sing, with Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, and Hoon Lee all killing it. It’s sharp, messy, and already renewed for a second season, which feels like the right call. Don’t miss it!
Your Friends & Neighbors
When a financial titan suddenly finds himself divorced and jobless, he starts robbing his wealthy neighbors to stay afloat. Stealing from his own social circle strangely exhilarates him—but he gradually gets tangled in a deadly web.