Are people such as elton john or tim burton upper class?

I don't think being "classy" has anything to do with your economic status. To me, classy people are honest, humble, giving, and good. Money does not make people have these qualities. And thankfully so because the upper class is shrinking.

I have always associated it with simply having a wealth of money.....

In england wealth does not buy class, i know some millionairres that go out get pissed out of their faces then go and buy a burger and chips at the local takeaway and i wouldn't class them as upper class.

I associate amount of wealth with class.

Nah, they're just rich. Money doesn't buy class, although people with money often think it does.

"Class" the way that you are putting it is more about personal choice on how you see them...

Upper class? I thought all celebrities were automatically rich. Justin bieber bought two houses which he owns and had a car built by "Pimp my ride" at age 17.

You did not give us options to answer correctly. So I will give you the answer right now. It is the list all of the ones I know of. We have three lower classes one is the lowest, second highest and one which is just below middle class, we have low middle class, upper middle class which lives comfortable and what most people imagine as middle class. We have low upper class which is above middle class and middle upper class and high upper class. After that we have wealthy with is not rich but a lot more then even high upper class. After wealthy we have rich. Rich can be broken into millionaire, billionaires and so on. So no upper class is not royalty. Royalty would be rich not upper class. A rich person would own a mansion. Low middle class makes barely enough to not be considered poor. Lower class is poor but we have 3 levels of poor. A wealthy person might go to private school but no where as rich as a celebrity. Also yes a nice cloth would cost some moeny. So dressing nice and eating well would require more money so you would give off a classier appearance if you have the ability to buy better cloth.

elton john is a flamming homo.. but he is a great musician. still a faggot though

Since I'm an American, class is based more on wealth than a formal social status. How many generations of a family must be wealthy for them to be considered "upper class"?

The upper class are only the aristocracy with titles eg. Lords, Dames, Dukes, etc. There are others that are upper middle class, like millionaires who are well-educated. Then there are middle classes based on their profession or born into wealth eg doctors, lecturers, etc. However, there are the working class who work hard for a living but don't make a lot of money. The boundaries tend to overlap a little too.

It is generally accepted that wealth alone doesn't move you into a different class. In the UK it comes down to education, etiquette and even something as minor as accent. Education does allow some people to move up from working to middle class if they so choose.

However, your example of Alan Sugar is the exception to the norm because he is proud of his working class background and still considers himself working class coz he still works and hate posh twits who are full of sh!t.

Don't know why it matters as long as your happy but here's a question I asked in my snobby private school. What class was Jesus?

If Tim Burton is middle class I'm a charity case.

I know that people are saying class has nothing to do with money. But It does. You might know a 'classy' person but in the end they never see the Ritz.

I think it takes at least one generation of offspring from a self-made millionaire. I.e. Alan Sugar having kids that never want for anything, and proceed to make a lot of money as well.

i think they are in a league of their own, they entertain and bring hapiness , to me anyhow

Class does not equal wealth. It's a mentality.

Read an excellent book describing class called "Distinction" by Pierre Bourdieu. Economic capital does factor, but more important are cultural capital (tastes, interests, etiquette, values, type of education), and social capital (the network of people you are born into and connected with, e.g. aristocracy).

It was once impossible for lower classes to get money, so £££ equalled class. But with Alan Sugars and David Beckhams about, the elite have to distinguish themselves through cultural and social practices, not with extravagant houses. Showing off money is vulgar; that's for footballers and pop stars.

You show yourself as upper class by knowing how to speak and what to speak about, how to dress, which knife to use, and all the dates on the polo calendar, and by going to the top private schools. Class is instilled in you at childhood - I think most upper class people would sell all their possessions before sending their kids to anywhere but a traditional public school.