Paris Hilton's influence is so great that it has extended to summer camp. And we're not just talking about kids masturbating furtively under the covers to fading memories of her grainy sex tape. The latest trend? Summer programs where little richies learn not to be vapid airheads!

[P]arents are increasingly turning to camps like the Skills Retreat and a growing number of wealth-education companies. Washington-based Wealthbridge Partners, for instance, works with families worth $100 million or more and takes an "experiential" approach to training rich kids. They spend a night at a zoo, for instance, to learn how the zoo works as a business. They start lemonade stands, complete with "location assessment teams" and "production committees" (lemons or powder?). To demonstrate their budding noblesse oblige, the Wealthbridge kids donate all the lemonade proceeds to a charity of their choice.

While the children are unenthused ("I should so be in St. Tropez right now."), parents are adamant that their offspring develop the tools they need to manage the massive amounts of wealth that will come their way by virtue of being born to their right people. We suppose it's somewhat heartening to learn that our wealthy overlords are at least attempting to rein in the excesses of the next generation, it's hard not to see something like this...

For the Skills Retreat, IFF combined the financial with the psychological. Hausner started out by asking the participants questions like: "What does money mean in your family?," "What are the dangers of money?" and "What would you do if you won $10 million from the lottery?" (One kid's answer: "If that's pretax, $10 million isn't that much.")

...and not want to, you know, vote Socialist. Still, we bet they're making some amazing macramé.

Richie Rich 101 [LAT]

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