Topline
Savannah James, entrepreneur and wife of billionaire basketball player LeBron James, is at the center of a viral social media debate about wealth and generosity after revealing that her long-time best friend flies in business class or coach while James sits in first class on trips they take together, dividing the internet over what the super wealthy should pay for among friends.
April McDaniel and Savannah James on May 17, 2025.
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Key Facts
James, who owns a skincare brand and whose husband is worth an estimated $1.4 billion, and her best friend April McDaniel spoke to the “Mental Wealth” podcast about how their extreme difference in wealth impacts their friendship.
McDaniel, who owns a marketing agency called Crown + Conquer, said the pair live “two different lifestyles” and that she doesn’t expect to fly in first class seats with James because “that’s not in my budget.”
McDaniel also said she and James plan trips around how she can make it work financially—”we don’t just show up at Fashion Week week-of,” she said.
James said her friends are “very respectful of my situation” and said there is “no expectation of, like, taking care of something or, you know, just having me be responsible for them. It has never, ever been that.”
The podcast clip triggered a viral debate over friendship etiquette and wealth, with critics saying they would expect James to either upgrade her friend or downgrade her own experience to sit with her in economy.
Many critics pointed to the scale of James’s wealth as the no. 1 factor—claiming the cost of a single first-class plane ticket is essentially a rounding error in a billionaire household—and some commenters said withholding an upgrade under those circumstances feels like a “subtle reminder they aren’t on the same level.”
But a vocal minority came to the pair’s defense and praised both McDaniel for “acting her wage” and James for not allowing her friends to be “moochers.”
Many argued that financial boundaries are what allow long-term friendships to survive massive wealth gaps and that handouts can quietly breed resentment or entitlement.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“April isn’t broke. Flies business class. Ain’t like she’s in the back of the plane,” author and cultural critic Luvvie Ajayi Jones said. “Savannah flying first does not entitle her friends to be in first with her. So every time you have a girl’s trip, you gotta put up money to make sure everyone is in the same cabin? Come on.”
SHOULD BILLIONAIRES BANKROLL THEIR FRIENDS?
It depends who you ask. Brandon Jennings, a former NBA player, defended James and said the expectation that she pay for her friends’ upgrades is “moocher” behavior. Radio personality Frank Ski said paying for friends’ upgrades, trips and other expenses can drain a wealthy person’s fortune: “Your friend’s bank account is NOT your benefits package,” he said. TikToker and beauty brand founder KJ Miller, however, equated James buying first class airfare to herself, whom she called a “Brokey McBrokeBroke,” “purchasing a fare on the public city bus.” “So if I am going some place with my homegirl, and I’m taking the bus, and I know that she cannot afford to take the bus, am I not going to buy her a bus ticket? Like, obviously I’m buying that bus ticket,” Miller asked.
HOW DO WEALTH GAPS IMPACT FRIENDSHIPS?
Data shows friends are notoriously hesitant to talk about finances with their peers. A Business Insider poll found millennials would rather talk about politics than their own finances, and wealth gaps are a common cause of tension, resentment and shame in friendships, according to Psychology Today. In a 2025 survey by Lending Tree, 36% of respondents said they’ve had a friendship end over money and 31% said they’ve felt pressure to keep up with their friends’ spending habits. A study conducted by Credit Karma reportedly found that 88% of millennials have taken on debt after having spent time with a wealthier friend.
FORBES VALUATION
Savannah James’s husband, LeBron, is the first active NBA player to become a billionaire. He’s earned upwards of $500 million in pretax salary from NBA teams and has raked in more than $1 billion pretax off the court, according to Forbes estimates, from his endorsement deals and business ventures. He has equity stakes in several major sports media and consumer brands including Fenway Sports Group, Blaze Pizza, Beats Electronics, Lobos 1707 Tequila, Whoop and others. He and Savannah met as teenagers and have been married since 2013.
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