"Kardashians are very rich, but they are not rich like the rich I deal with"
Kardashians are very rich, but they are not as rich as the rich I am dealing with. They are poor in comparison. The rich I am dealing with are very formal and very private.
2025-08-01 17:35:57
World: For a small fraction of the world's elite, a billion dollars is not much. A million dollars is a startup purchase in Silicon Valley. A billion is what Chinese industrialists are making to build the fake version of iPhones and fidget spinners. It's definitely a nice change, but $1 billion will only see you fly around in a Gulfstream or a Cessna, or in another spicy nothing-to-write-home-over-jet.
For royals from the Gulf state and a handful of Russian oligarchs, 'rich' means a whole different thing. These elusive multimillionaires buy large commercial jets from Boeing or Airbus and decorate them with hand-woven rugs, wood paneling, and everything in gold. It's a privileged world that is almost impossible to enter unless you happen to be the aerial photographer hired by the aircraft's interior designer to capture the outfit. At least, that's how Nick Gleis got in.
Gleis made a career of photographing the planes of the super-elite. Initially trained in landscape photography by Ansel Adams, Gleis almost accidentally falls into aerial photography. He has been doing this for over 30 years now and has photographed somewhere in the vicinity of 1,000 aircraft. VICE Journalist spoke to him from his home in Virginia.
Nick Gleis: Well, that could actually give me less. Airplanes do nothing for me. I see planes as nothing but a piece of transport. Instead, my passion lies in photographic images. I just find that the interiors of executive planes enable me to increase my level of photography one step further.
Right. What do you mean by that?
What I mean is that when you board an executive plane, its quality is higher than what the average person really understands. An executive airplane can contain virtually anything - anything that includes a luxury home, apartment, or castle. The difference is that you fly 500 miles per hour, so weight is a decisive factor. Imagine your dining room table - on the ground, you can probably not pick it up, but in these planes, you can pick one up in each hand. The aircraft should have the same atmosphere and functionality, except that everything should be light, and with quality, you almost need a microscope to see. It just blows me away.
OK, let's rinse back a bit. How did you get this job?
About thirty years ago, I worked for a photography company in Burbank, California. I was 27 years old, and the commission came from a Tiger Air company, and they had a Boeing 727-100 in which they were an executive inside. The company I worked for commissioned the commission to take advance photography every two weeks. . It takes a year or two to complete these planes, and in the end, they need photos of the final product. I have to do those.
And from there, you became the luxury airman?
No. I saw that it was an endless opportunity, so I found a company working out of LAX called Garrett AiResearch, and it was one of the world's largest completion centers. They did about 40 flights a year on the inside. I mean, it was big. I went down to AiResearch, and I begged and asked for more work. And you know what they say; the rest is history.
So you begged for work, but you say you do not care about airplanes. What motivated you?
Money.
Oh, of course. I imagine it's a good salary?
Can be, yes. The bottom line is: Would you rather be one of a million wedding photographers, or would you like to be one of three aerial photographers?
The second one. So you've been doing it for 30 years now. Did you see changes in the elite aircraft mode at that time?
What has happened to the aviation industry is that they have become increasingly conservative. The days of luxury are fading fast. The Saudi Arabian aircraft are very businesslike. They are, I would say, currently like the interiors of BMWs. They are stunning, do not get me wrong, but they do not have the flair that designers placed in the 80s and 90s in 747s.
Today you do not see things like a basin with a jacuzzi look?
Exactly. That basin was made of abalone; you just don't see it designed that way anymore. The thing you see in the middle of the tap - If you put your hand to the right, cold water would come out; if you place your hand on the left side, hot water will come out. When you touch the middle, a middle temperature comes out. That whole crane structure came seamlessly from one piece of aluminum.
Tell me about the wealthiest people in the world.
I find that the super-rich are generally very kind people. They are not condescending assholes like some famous people do. For example, the Kardashians are very rich, but they are not as rich as the rich I am dealing with. They are poor in comparison. The rich I am dealing with are very formal and very private. They are aware of who they are, and they are aware that everyone in the world wants to come next to them. They, therefore, do not tend to embrace strangers but do so without being rude.
That said, they are very demanding because they pay the best. They expect results. If something goes wrong and they do not like it, you will not hear from them; you will listen to it from their representatives. The higher you go, the more beautiful they are, which in turn differs from American celebrities. I'm terrified of the shit those guys get away with. They have no class at all. They think it's a hot thing to fly around in their little Gulfstream plane, but they just do not know what it's really like.
Do you say this from personal experience?
Oh, absolutely, yes. I have done many famous aircraft.
Tell me about the rude celebrity you've been dealing with.
I can not. But I can tell you the person I like the most, and that's probably Tom Cruise. The people who drive his planes are my customers, and he will always ask, 'Hey, how are you?' and says, "Nice to see you." A cruise is a private man, but he is always very polite, and he makes the time.
You got some criticism about dealing with people who earn their money in various unethical ways. How do you resolve this in your own mind?
I just do not pay any attention to it because it is a lie. The Telegraph has published an article claiming that I am the chosen photographer for African dictators, but that is just not true. I'm not going to countries where they will shoot me. I do not care how much money they have. I'm not going to Iran or Iraq or to any of the places they will shoot me. Even Saudi Arabia is very closed. A royal family member must approve my visa to enter, and then I will be in composition; they will not let me wander around. So this is good. Dubai and the United Emirates are about as westernized as you can get. So it's all right. But I will not deal with a mad dictator. I would not do that.
Do you like your job?
Look, I'm one of the happiest people ever to walk the planet. I wanted to do it from the age of 20, and to the great disappointment of my parents, I still do it today. I just love taking pictures. The only time I'm thrilled is when I take pictures.
Inputs from ‘VICE’
Nick Gleis: Well, that could actually give me less. Airplanes do nothing for me. I see planes as nothing but a piece of transport. Instead, my passion lies in photographic images. I just find that the interiors of executive planes enable me to increase my level of photography one step further.
Right. What do you mean by that?
What I mean is that when you board an executive plane, its quality is higher than what the average person really understands. An executive airplane can contain virtually anything - anything that includes a luxury home, apartment, or castle. The difference is that you fly 500 miles per hour, so weight is a decisive factor. Imagine your dining room table - on the ground, you can probably not pick it up, but in these planes, you can pick one up in each hand. The aircraft should have the same atmosphere and functionality, except that everything should be light, and with quality, you almost need a microscope to see. It just blows me away.
OK, let's rinse back a bit. How did you get this job?
About thirty years ago, I worked for a photography company in Burbank, California. I was 27 years old, and the commission came from a Tiger Air company, and they had a Boeing 727-100 in which they were an executive inside. The company I worked for commissioned the commission to take advance photography every two weeks. . It takes a year or two to complete these planes, and in the end, they need photos of the final product. I have to do those.
And from there, you became the luxury airman?
No. I saw that it was an endless opportunity, so I found a company working out of LAX called Garrett AiResearch, and it was one of the world's largest completion centers. They did about 40 flights a year on the inside. I mean, it was big. I went down to AiResearch, and I begged and asked for more work. And you know what they say; the rest is history.
So you begged for work, but you say you do not care about airplanes. What motivated you?
Money.
Oh, of course. I imagine it's a good salary?
Can be, yes. The bottom line is: Would you rather be one of a million wedding photographers, or would you like to be one of three aerial photographers?
The second one. So you've been doing it for 30 years now. Did you see changes in the elite aircraft mode at that time?
What has happened to the aviation industry is that they have become increasingly conservative. The days of luxury are fading fast. The Saudi Arabian aircraft are very businesslike. They are, I would say, currently like the interiors of BMWs. They are stunning, do not get me wrong, but they do not have the flair that designers placed in the 80s and 90s in 747s.
Today you do not see things like a basin with a jacuzzi look?
Exactly. That basin was made of abalone; you just don't see it designed that way anymore. The thing you see in the middle of the tap - If you put your hand to the right, cold water would come out; if you place your hand on the left side, hot water will come out. When you touch the middle, a middle temperature comes out. That whole crane structure came seamlessly from one piece of aluminum.
Tell me about the wealthiest people in the world.
I find that the super-rich are generally very kind people. They are not condescending assholes like some famous people do. For example, the Kardashians are very rich, but they are not as rich as the rich I am dealing with. They are poor in comparison. The rich I am dealing with are very formal and very private. They are aware of who they are, and they are aware that everyone in the world wants to come next to them. They, therefore, do not tend to embrace strangers but do so without being rude.
That said, they are very demanding because they pay the best. They expect results. If something goes wrong and they do not like it, you will not hear from them; you will listen to it from their representatives. The higher you go, the more beautiful they are, which in turn differs from American celebrities. I'm terrified of the shit those guys get away with. They have no class at all. They think it's a hot thing to fly around in their little Gulfstream plane, but they just do not know what it's really like.
Do you say this from personal experience?
Oh, absolutely, yes. I have done many famous aircraft.
Tell me about the rude celebrity you've been dealing with.
I can not. But I can tell you the person I like the most, and that's probably Tom Cruise. The people who drive his planes are my customers, and he will always ask, 'Hey, how are you?' and says, "Nice to see you." A cruise is a private man, but he is always very polite, and he makes the time.
You got some criticism about dealing with people who earn their money in various unethical ways. How do you resolve this in your own mind?
I just do not pay any attention to it because it is a lie. The Telegraph has published an article claiming that I am the chosen photographer for African dictators, but that is just not true. I'm not going to countries where they will shoot me. I do not care how much money they have. I'm not going to Iran or Iraq or to any of the places they will shoot me. Even Saudi Arabia is very closed. A royal family member must approve my visa to enter, and then I will be in composition; they will not let me wander around. So this is good. Dubai and the United Emirates are about as westernized as you can get. So it's all right. But I will not deal with a mad dictator. I would not do that.
Do you like your job?
Look, I'm one of the happiest people ever to walk the planet. I wanted to do it from the age of 20, and to the great disappointment of my parents, I still do it today. I just love taking pictures. The only time I'm thrilled is when I take pictures.
Inputs from ‘VICE’
Monika Walker is an experienced journalist specializing in global political developments and international relations. With a keen eye for accuracy and analysis, Monika has been reporting for over a decade, bringing stories to light that matter to readers around the world. She holds a degree in International Journalism and is passionate about giving a voice to underrepresented communities through factual reporting.
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