Tour the Social Network for Rich People

"Netropolitan" bills itself as an online country club for the affluent.

ByABC News
August 26, 2014, 10:35 AM
James Touchi-Peters, a composer, said he created Netropolitan for affluent, busy people.
James Touchi-Peters, a composer, said he created Netropolitan for affluent, busy people.
Steve Foley/Netropolitan

— -- Have you ever gone on a social network and felt like people just don't get you? Do you have $9,000 to spare?

Then maybe it's time to join Netropolitan -- an "online country club" where busy rich people can schmooze in an "exclusive online community," according to the company.

The service is the brainchild of James Touchi-Peters, a Minneapolis-based orchestra conductor and composer, who said he had trouble finding a place online where he could communicate with people who share his interests.

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Touchi-Peters said having an online community of fellow jet setters was important to him -- but he just couldn't find one.

"I had to come to the conclusion that my life is different from most other people. Probably a lot of people, I think," he told ABC News.

That's when Netropolitan was born.

PHOTO: It costs $9,000 to join Netropolitan, while annual dues are $3,000 a year.
It costs $9,000 to join Netropolitan, while annual dues are $3,000 a year.

For a $9,000 registration fee, followed by $3,000 in annual dues, deep-pocketed members can network and discuss their passions away from the public Internet.

The people who pony up the cash for Netropolitan memberships will have their identities kept secret, Touchi-Peters said. He said the high fee is a way to "vet members."

"Most people are going to sign up to meet people they don't know already," Touchi-Peters said. The site officially launches on Sept. 16.

PHOTO: Netropolitan bills itself as the "online country club for people with more money than time."
Netropolitan bills itself as the "online country club for people with more money than time."

Touchi-Peters described the organization as "similar to Facebook" in that people have a profile. However, instead of sending friend requests, users of the service can follow other members they find interesting.

"We're going to create the service and let the members decide what to do with it," he said. "We expect most of the activity will be on the discussion boards."

The boards will have a dozen categories, he said, including passions and interests, sports, and an area for connecting activity partners.

Netropolitan will be advertising free and won't be indexed by search engines, Touchi-Peters said. He added that "all of the transmissions to and from the service are encrypted."

While we'll likely never know who signs up for the "online country club" we do know that it's lacking a few of the traditional country club staples:

Golf, tennis and drinks aren't included.