He can buy 10 real Rolexes but wears Rs 10,000 copy instead. Rs 500 crore businessman's reasoning explains how the ultra-rich think

Luxury products are often seen as symbols of success, but not everyone with immense wealth believes in spending heavily on them. For some, the value lies in what an item does rather than how much it costs. That debate has resurfaced after Delhi-based entrepreneur Rohan Dhawan shared the story of a businessman worth nearly ₹500 crore who revealed that the Rolex watch on his wrist was actually a ₹10,000 first copy. The conversation has since gone viral on LinkedIn, with many weighing in on whether luxury is about craftsmanship, status or simply perception.

The post has attracted widespread attention, with users offering sharply different views on whether buying expensive luxury items is about personal satisfaction, social signalling or financial practicality.

A ₹25 lakh watch that wasn't real

In his LinkedIn post, Rohan Dhawan, founder of UAbility, recalled meeting a businessman whose net worth, according to him, is close to ₹500 crore. During their conversation, he noticed what appeared to be a two-tone Rolex Daytona, a luxury watch that sells for over ₹25 lakh.


Dhawan complimented the watch and mentioned that owning one had been a dream for years. The businessman then surprised him with an unexpected admission.

"Rohan, I'm only telling you this. It's a first copy. Bought it for ₹10k from an Instagram page."

Before Dhawan could ask why, the businessman explained his thinking.

"Where I'm sitting today, people never even assume it could be fake. It shows the time, it gets me compliments, it does the work for me. So why spend that kind of money on a real one?"

The logic that left the founder thinking

Dhawan admitted he wasn't convinced, but he also found it difficult to dismiss the reasoning outright.

"I sat there confused, awkward, and lost in thought because I do not agree with him but I couldn't fully disagree either."

He then pointed out how people's assumptions often depend more on who is wearing a product than the product itself.

"A guy on the street wearing genuine Nikes still gets a second glance, assuming that they're probably a first copy. But a guy who's earning ₹2-3 lakh a month, wearing fake Jordans, gets a compliment and nobody checks twice."

According to him, "That's not luxury working the way it's supposed to." He added, "It means, for a lot of people, the room they're standing in has become worth more than the object itself. The watch did not earn the compliment. His net worth did."

Despite understanding the businessman's perspective, Dhawan said he would still choose authenticity.

"I still don't think I'd wear a fake, no matter how convincing the math sounds. I'd rather own less and have it be real. But I'll admit his logic didn't leave me with a clean answer either."

He ended the post by asking readers what they value most when buying luxury products—craftsmanship, brand legacy or something else entirely.

Internet divided over what luxury really means

The post soon turned into a wider discussion about the purpose of luxury purchases.

One LinkedIn user wrote that the businessman was simply clear about what he wanted. Since his goal was to be perceived as owning the original and his reputation meant nobody questioned it, the cheaper option achieved the same result. At the same time, the commenter added that someone genuinely passionate about watches would naturally prefer buying the real piece.

A Marketing Strategist offered another perspective, writing, "Luxury has always been status signalling, the question is who still needs the signal." She argued that people who are already known to be wealthy often do not need luxury goods to prove anything, while collectors buy them because they genuinely appreciate the product itself rather than the status attached to it.

Another LinkedIn user, also said he would personally still choose an original watch but felt the businessman had correctly understood his situation. According to him, "the watch isn't earning the compliment, his net worth is," making the decision less about being cheap and more about spending where it truly matters.