Women lounge in designer bikinis next to glistening infinity pools. Young men race their latest Porsches and Maseratis, their wrists draped in gold jewelry. Partygoers take sips from bottles of bubbly inside plush mansions. The photos could be of the young, high-society crowd in Beverly Hills, New York or Miami. But looks can be deceiving. Meet the "Rich Kids of Tehran," a social media phenomenon that has attracted worldwide attention for offering a startling glimpse at the decadent lifestyle of wealthy young Iranians in one of the world's most socially conservative countries. After launching in September on Instagram, the mobile photo-sharing platform, @RichKidsofTehran quickly amassed more than 100,000 followers by posting hundreds of pictures of fast luxury cars, house parties in gated neighborhoods and attractive young women in slinky dresses.
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"Rich Kids of Tehran" is a popular Instagram account showing wealthy young Iranians
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It offers a startling glimpse at decadent lifestyles in a socially conservative country
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The account was shut down in October, but later resurfaced with a new name
We wanted to show the luxurious side of @placeholder to the world."