Influencer Becca Bloom has come under fire for her and husband David Pownall's extravagant holiday traditions, which have been documented on social media under the moniker #RichTok, a subculture on TikTok where users flaunt their luxurious lifestyles. In a video posted on her account Sunday, the couple divulged their "controversial" holiday rituals, with Pownall revealing that Bloom opens her Christmas presents before the 25th of December. "I don't do well with surprises," Bloom explained, before her husband chimed in to clarify that she actually picks out her own gifts and "acts surprised" when she unwraps them.
The influencer then shared an unusual tradition: her mother sets up a Christmas tree for every pet in their household, including a tree for their dog, a tree for their cat, and a tree for their fish. "And they each have their own presents underneath them," she explained with a hint of amusement.
Pownall added that during the holidays, the couple, who had an extravagant wedding in Lake Como in August, are already thinking about their future children. "We buy presents for our future kids and write them Christmas letters," he said.
For Thanksgiving, Bloom revealed that instead of going around the table and sharing what they're thankful for, everyone thanks her mother. Bloom's parents are Simon Yiming Ma and Heidi Chou, Chinese tech entrepreneurs who co-founded the software company Camelot Information Systems.
To wrap things up in a truly unique way, Becca and her mother have a luxurious tradition for Christmas presents: They wrap them in silk instead of wrapping paper. "Insane," Pownall remarked before Bloom added, "It's more environmentally conscious that way. This way, we reuse the wrapping paper every single year, and we can also use it as a scarf." Pownall concluded with a chuckle, "It's quite the rationalization."
The video, which has garnered over 3.2 million views, has sparked a wave of disbelief among followers. "You wrap gifts in what??? The fish has a tree??? You thank your mom every year?" one commented. "Are you being serious? THE FISH?" another added with disbelief, while a third joked, "Are you telling me your fish is living a better life than me??"
Others accused Bloom and Pownall of flaunting their wealth. "Gifts for a fish, meanwhile I'm struggling to buy a coat for winter," one commented. "This feels out of touch…" another wrote, while a third added, "When you have so much money, you don't know what to do…future kids get gifts."
On TikTok, Bloom is known for showcasing her luxurious lifestyle to her 4.9 million followers as the founder of Studipal, an online tutoring program for students in China, and co-founder of Hearth Wireless Chargers, a phone charger brand. In a TikTok posted last month, she pushed back at critics who argued she shouldn't speak about equality because of her wealth. She went on to say that men "don't understand" the issue and noted that her husband covers "all the bills," which she described as the "bare minimum." She added with a hint of frustration, "Men only remember the word equality when it benefits them financially, not when it comes to wages, not when it comes to safety, not when it comes to emotional workload, not when it comes to the cost of beauty. Not when it comes to the social scrutiny women face on a daily basis."
