Jon Morgan, co-founder of Benture Smarter’s business consulting firm, was coaching Gen Z entrepreneurs when he realized something strange about her life and what she drew online.
His 23-year-old mentee was creating a persona for a gorgeous year and a half trip. He said it suggests she lives a $500,000 lifestyle a year. The reality is that her annual spending is close to $12,000, he said.
“She books a $200 pass at a luxury beach club in Miami (and) takes 400 photos in six hours,” Morgan told CNBC trip.
She then posted photos over the course of eight weeks, giving the impression that she frequently stayed at luxury resorts.
For some, posting photos of Dupplicious Travel is not just a warning, but a money-making venture.
Klaus Vedfelt | DigitalVision | Getty Images
That wasn’t all. Morgan attacks a conversation with the concierge at a luxury hotel and says he will provide money in exchange for putting her in the hotel.
“With a $50 tip, they will allow her to access the rooftop pool and lobby at Four Seasons Properties for a 30-minute photo session,” he said.
The fantasy worked. Her Instagram account has grown to 85,000 followers and has been drawn into her seemingly extravagant lifestyle, he said.
But the goal was not just influence, but income.
“She viewed fake luxury content as a business investment and ultimately landed a brand partnership worth $180,000 a year,” Morgan said.
Her manufactured image on social media had been transformed into a money-making machine.
Luxury funded by debt
Instead of documenting the entire trip, they only highlight the most “instagrammable” moments.
Mohd Rizwan
Travelosei Director
American real estate manager Daniel Rivera said he had experienced this with one of his tenants.
The 24-year-old tenant posted a photo of an Airbnb rental in Miami that costs $400 per night, despite being three weeks behind the $1,800 monthly rent.
“She later admitted to spending that luxurious rental with six friends for a night and getting the perfect poolside shot,” he said. “The photos looked like a gorgeous week of holiday.”
Rivera said the housing applications he received from Gen ZS reveal details of how they could afford their lifestyle.
“During tenants screening, I noticed over 30% of applications that show recent personal loan inquiries, which are often labelled “vacancies” in my financial history,” he said.
A Reddit thread asked how Gen ZS travels frequently, especially how they pay for people traveling in their late teens and early 20s.
A Reddit post released in March 2025.
Source: CNBC
One user commented on the decision to use debts to fund their holidays.
“Was it financially irresponsible? Yes. Did most people say I wasted my money and should save money? Yes. Will I do it again? 1000%,” the user wrote. “You prioritize what you want in your life and deal with the consequences.”
False framing
Other Gen ZSs use loopholes for travel without disclosing on social media.
Rivera mentioned other tenants living in wealthy neighborhoods in New Jersey, such as Montclair and Shorthills. They were there for work, but the tenants took photos that gave the impression they lived there, he said.
Mohd Rizwan, director of Travelosei, a luxury travel agency based in New Delhi, said there has been a change in how younger generations frame vacations online.
“Instead of documenting the entire trip, they only emphasize the most “instagrammable” moments where the trip appears to be more luxurious than that,” he said.
