Who is richer Gatsby or Tom? Old money trumps new money in The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s acclaimed 1925 novel The Great Gatsby depicted the collision between old money and new money in the riotous prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. By portraying the vastly different lives of characters like Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan, Fitzgerald provided social commentary on wealth and status in 1920s America. Examining the origins and displays of wealth of both men reveals major contrasts between new money and old money in the story. While Jay Gatsby‘s huge fortune impresses at first, digging deeper shows that Tom Buchanan‘s established inheritance ultimately provided far more privilege, dominance, and security in their society.

Gatsby‘s huge fortune built from nothing

In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as mysteriously wealthy, hosting lavish parties and living in a sprawling mansion on West Egg. But Gatsby was born James Gatz to a poor farming family in North Dakota and had no inheritance or family wealth to rely on. The extravagant riches that enabled his lavish lifestyle were acquired through bootlegging illegal alcohol, early drug stores, and shady financial schemes during the Prohibition era.

Estimates put Jay Gatsby‘s net worth at around $20-$30 million in today‘s dollars – substantial wealth but not at the level of the old money elite. Much of Gatsby‘s fortune was likely built on credit, speculation, and dubious underworld dealings rather than solid assets. As "new money," Gatsby feels driven to conspicuously display his wealth and status through huge mansion parties rather than hide it discreetly like old money.

Gatsby‘s excessive spending and flashy presentation of wealth demonstrates an insecure need to prove himself among the old money Long Islanders who would never truly accept him.

Tom Buchanan – billions in inherited wealth

In contrast, Tom Buchanan was born into the enormously wealthy Midwestern Buchanan family, established members of America‘s social elite. The Buchanans likely had a net worth comparable to elite modern families like the Waltons or Kochs – an inherited fortune of billions built up over decades. Tom stood to inherit vast family business interests and assets that made Gatsby‘s nouveau riche millions seem trivial by comparison.

As Nick Carraway describes, Tom has "Two shining arrogant eyes had established dominance over his face…It was hard to realize his mouth was weak." Tom‘s Old money pedigree afforded complete freedom and dominance without needing to prove himself or work for a living. Other telling signs of Tom‘s secure status include:

• Attending elite Yale University, common for old money families

• Owning a luxurious home, stables of polo ponies, and a giant hydroplane yacht

• Spending extravagantly and carelessly due to lack of financial concern

Unlike Gatsby, Tom feels no need to flaunt his wealth through tasteless parties because his status was ensured simply by being born a Buchanan.

Old money connections and status reign supreme

Though Gatsby‘s huge wealth bought him an impressive mansion and seemingly endless capacity to throw lavish parties, it could not buy him the acceptance and connections of Long Island‘s old money set. Lacking an elite prep school and Ivy League background, Gatsby remained an outsider to Tom‘s circle of wealthy friends. Tom could take his established position in society for granted while Gatsby had to desperately try winning back Daisy to prove himself in their world.

In the end, despite her feelings for Gatsby, Daisy chose to remain with Tom at the end of the novel. Marrying the nouveau riche Gatsby would jeopardize the privilege and status that staying with Tom guaranteed her in their social caste. The Great Gatsby makes clear that newly acquired wealth alone cannot outweigh the importance of pedigree and connections among the American aristocracy. No amount of flashy mansions or parties could undo the stigma of Gatsby‘s shady new money origins in the eyes of the elite.

The Great Gatsby shows how, despite his incredible wealth, Jay Gatsby simply did not have the respected background and family name to truly belong in Tom Buchanan‘s world, no matter how extravagantly he spent or how much he loved Daisy. Just as the parvenu Gatsby could never be fully accepted among the old money set, his fortune paled in comparison to the established inheritance and connections of someone like Tom Buchanan. Fitzgerald‘s novel remains an insightful commentary on wealth, privilege, and class in 1920s America through its contrasting portraits of old money and new.