“You’ve probably heard the saying that everyone has the same 24 hours in a day to get things done. But that’s a lie!”
That’s according to 31-year-old Juliana Passarelli from Brazil, who works as the personal assistant to a billionaire businessman.
Juliana says, “The man I work for has my 24 hours too.”
She handles everything her 35-year-old millionaire boss doesn’t want to do himself — whether it’s choosing a $5,000 suit, organizing his birthday party, or buying school supplies for his son.
But some days go far beyond those “ordinary tasks.” She recalls that once her boss suddenly told her to fly to France to buy a Ferrari on his behalf.
Speaking about the incident, she says, “I had to pack my bags overnight to travel to France because my boss had purchased a special collector’s edition Ferrari. We went to a city near Paris, and I had to handle all the paperwork to bring the car from France to Brazil.”
Despite the glamorous appearance of her job, there is no fixed schedule — no set hours for day or night. One day she might take her boss’s dog to the vet; another day she could be booking his dentist appointment. Paying bills is also part of her responsibilities.
“You know when you have so many things to do in a day and you think, ‘Oh no, I forgot something’? That doesn’t happen to me. Despite the busy schedule, I don’t forget anything,” she says.
That’s why on social media she’s known as the “multi-millionaire’s nanny.” The viral term actually began as a joke she made with her boss.
“I was joking with him because we’re very friendly and chat a lot,” she explains.
Juliana says that because she takes responsibility for everything in her boss’s life, he is free to focus entirely on his work.
“You know how you can’t take your eyes off a two-year-old child for even a second? That’s how it is for me. I’m responsible for someone else’s life.”
Juliana holds a degree in advertising and a postgraduate qualification in marketing. She left the attractive world of advertising and events to fully manage the life of a wealthy businessman.
However, she didn’t always work in this role. Previously, she worked in advertising.
“I loved my job, but I couldn’t build a routine around it. I couldn’t see myself trapped behind a computer from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” she says.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she got the opportunity when an acquaintance told her about a job as an assistant to a millionaire. After just a five-minute interview, the businessman decided to hire her on trial. She has now been in the role for more than five years.
“Even today I don’t have a fixed routine, but that’s no longer a problem for me because I’ve never been a routine-oriented person,” she says.
“I prefer it this way because every day you do something different and learn something new. You have to learn a lot.”
Her job also has some unusual aspects. She remembers that once her boss read an article saying that millionaires are fond of miniature chickens, so he decided to adopt the trend.
These tiny chickens — known as bantams or the Serama breed — are raised for sale in rural areas of São Paulo state in Brazil. Originally from Malaysia, the average Serama chicken stands about 15 centimeters tall, while larger chickens of the breed can reach up to 75 centimeters.
“One day my boss brought two chickens into the office, and I literally became the nanny to these tiny birds,” she says.
Each chicken can cost around $586. The birds are now kept on one of her boss’s farms, but Juliana still has to collect photos and updates to keep him informed.
Her TikTok profile has already gained over five million likes and more than 140,000 followers, where she shares glimpses of her work as the “multi-millionaire’s nanny.”
Time and Status
Professor Cristina Proença from the Higher School of Advertising and Marketing in São Paulo — and coordinator of its postgraduate program in luxury business and marketing — says that a lifestyle like Juliana’s is common among domestic staff working for the world’s wealthiest individuals, such as housekeepers and butlers.
“These roles have always existed in traditional millionaire families; in some of the wealthiest households, such employees even serve generation after generation, helping manage everyday life,” she explains.
According to her, the concentration of wealth in certain segments of society is increasing demand for highly specialized personal services.
A Bain & Company study estimates that Brazil’s luxury market — valued at about $14.4 billion in 2022 — is expected to grow to roughly $29.2 billion by 2030, driven by families with assets exceeding $1 million.
In Brazil, the “super rich” — officially classified by the government as high-income taxpayers — number around 141,400 individuals.
In a market increasingly focused on exclusive services, “super personalization” has become the key to the luxury experience.
“A personal assistant is someone who knows their client so well that they almost become an extension of them. That’s what the wealthiest class wants: something extremely unique, something no one else can access.”
The most valuable desire is not a material object — it is time.
“When you hire someone in this capacity, you are essentially buying time. You are purchasing someone else’s time in order to create more of your own.”
“In ordinary life, there are necessary tasks — maintaining a home, for example — but they prevent you from doing other things. If someone else can handle them, you gain freedom.”
“For the ultra-wealthy, having time itself is a status symbol.”
Professor Proença adds that she does not like the term “multi-millionaire’s nanny.”
“It suggests that the businessman is incapable of managing his own life. The word ‘nanny’ implies caring for a child or infant — someone without independence.”
However, she notes that for the wealthy individuals who hire such services, the logic is different.
“Even the simplest tasks can be outsourced. Sometimes it’s as small as bringing a glass of water.”