The Faux-Jet Set: Exposing the Influencers Who Fake the High Life (Especially the Private Jets)

Because pretending to fly private doesn’t make you elite – it just makes you a seatbelt short of a scandal.

Instagram, the digital land where the odd individual is sipping Dom Pérignon at 40,000 feet in a “spontaneous” private jet flight to Mykonos. The crew, the flashy clothes, the expensive watches. It’s all so well catered to stimulate our psyche that we can’t help but think: it has to be real, right?

Wrong!

In this article, we’ll cover the incredible world of influencers and private jets, luxury cars and scenarios. From the young man who poses as a Dubai entrepreneur but actually lives in his parents’ basement in a UK suburb, to one of our favourite characters of all times, the Tinder Swindler. This is one of those takes you don’t want to miss, with enough perpsective that will likely make you think twice about that IG reel and how today’s The Prestige move makes us rethink how to percieve reality.

Once upon a time, private jet travel was the ultimate indicator of elite status. In our opinion t still is, only and if real. In today’s digital circus, all it takes is a few hundred dollars and a clever camera angle to simulate a lifestyle that costs five to six figures per flight.

With the arrival of the “Jet Set Studio” – yes, that’s a real thing, we discover photo studios designed to look like private jet cabins, complete with velvet seats, LED lighting, and props like fake caviar tins and empty champagne bottles. Influencers rent said studios by the hour. They bring their wardrobe changes, their “crew” (besties with iPhones), and they spend the afternoon snapping enough content to fool half of New York into thinking they’re on a G650 to Dubai.

Never mind that the cabin doesn’t move, or that the window views are printed on cardboard. If it looks like a jet, the followers will believe it.

It’s theatre, darling, but without the talent.

One of the most common tricks in the influencer flight of fancy is the Tarmac Pose™. You know the one we’re covering here: standing confidently at the foot of a private jet staircase, Dior luggage artfully placed nearby, gazing wistfully toward the sky like they’re about to take off to Saint-Tropez.

Spoiler alert: they’re not.

In many cases, the jet in question isn’t even operational. It’s either:

• Parked permanently at a private airfield and available for photoshoots.
• Borrowed for 15 minutes from a charter company that didn’t vet who they were lending the staircase to, or in exchange for a few #’s.
• Or worst of all, not theirs at all; just a quick snap-and-run situation before the crew can tell them to jog on.

The result? A digital illusion that’s racked up thousands of likes, comments like “life goals” and the illusion of jet-setting status. All without ever leaving the ground and heading where the air is rarefied.

If you thought it would all end at the stair, rest assured we’re not even halfway through. A good act must build a solid narrative, which means a bumpy ride all the way through the luxury checklist. Let’s review the rest of the curated chaos:

Designer Goods That are Borrowed or “Inspired”

The “Birkin” casually placed in frame? Often a loan from a stylist, a knock-off, or rented from a luxury fashion library (yes, that’s a thing). Watches? If it’s not on their wrist in every post, it likely belongs to the guy holding the camera. Or their dealer – and no, we don’t mean Rolex. Just as long as it’s credible enough to feel it could be real, the job is worth it. The influencer economy doesn’t sleep, which means renting out said luxury props – or a good enough copy – puts food on other peoples’ tables, too.

Hotels They Haven’t Actually Slept In

It’s becoming increasingly common to book the “day use rate” at a 5-star hotel, snap a few photos, tag it with #SuiteLife or #LuxuryHotels, and leave before the actual guests check in. If you’re not unpacking your suitcase, does it even qualify as travel? For hotels, it’s a win-win scenario: add an extra to occupation rates, and be part of the influencer economy.

This approach can have two angles: influencers who are paid to promote these units, or influencers who are building their way up and eventually have no other option but rent the room and access to pools, bars and restaurants to snatch that insta feel. Just as long as #LivingtheLife feels every bit as real as possible.

The Champagne Lifestyle, Sponsored by Tap Water

The most fascinating part of all this story? The money isn’t real either. Many of these influencers aren’t paying for the lifestyles they portray. Most aren’t even close. We witness individuals drowning in credit card debt, hustling for collabs, or in a few tragic cases, involved in dodgy sponsorship deals and off-the-books brand endorsements. We never said it was an easy life, and while many see it as an investment, we feel there’s no shortage of competition in a crowded global market that lives off appearences.

All that glitters on their grid is usually filtered, filtered again, and filtered one more time for the gods.

Of course, it’ one thing to talk about fakery in theory and another to see who’s been busted mid-pose with their seatbelt very much unfastened. From jet-themed studios in Los Angeles to influencers in Kuala Lumpur staging “take-offs” that never left the runway, and even conmen weaponising the image of private aviation, the internet has given us a rogues’ gallery of faux flyers.

Here are a few of the more infamous names who’ve taken “fake it ’till you make it” to embarrassing altitudes.

Simon “Tinder Swindler” Leviev: The Conman Who Sold Jet Dreams

Simon Leviev (aka Shimon Hayut) is perhaps the poster child for luxury deception. He used images and clips of private jets, yachts, bodyguards, and high-end living to craft a persona so enchanting it fooled many.

One Newsweek article shows him in jet cabins with captions like “Just business”, helping reinforce the myth that his wealth was real. But much of his glam image is under scrutiny: victims and journalists argue much of it was assembled, borrowed, or misattributed to create a perfect con. This fake lifestyle and abuse culminated with his arrest in Georgia, so we’ll wait to see what lifestyle wonders the Tinder Swindler will portray from behind the bars next.

Stevie Emerson & the “Cloud Chasers” Jet Setup

Stevie Emerson is one of the names flagged in a wider exposé on influencers renting the same grounded jet to stage luxury travel shots. Videos surfaced showing boarding, cabin lounging and cash-fanning scenes, but aviation enthusiasts traced the tail number (a Bombardier Challenger 601-3R, registration N888FJ) and confirmed it hadn’t flown in months.  Oops!

In effect, Emerson & her circle were capitalising on a jet for social clout, not real travel. The set was repeatedly recycled between shoots, the likes landed, and the deals followed. Easy-peasy, right?

Malaysian Influencers & the Stationary Jet Show

In 2023, a group of Malaysian influencers made headlines for staging an entire “private jet lifestyle video campaign”, only for the cheating to be exposed. The jet they used was apparently only rented for photo ops, and never flown, with all “travel scenes” entirely fabricated.

Local media flagged that some of these creators were promoting programs or seminars promising wealth growth, while piggybacking on their faux jet imagery to sell dreams. Tell us you run a Ponzi without telling us.

Abby Baffoe: The “From Food Stamps to Private Jets” Narrative

Abby Baffoe is a TikTok/Instagram influencer who often frames her life as a rags-to-riches story. She’s posted footage of what appear to be private-jet trips; for example, she recently shared a video of a Bora Bora flight “with friends” funded by a cometics brand collaboration.

Critics flagged the opulence as tone-deaf, especially in light of her earlier claims of financial struggle. The luxury airline branding, boarding pass visuals, and choreographed cabin shots all invited scrutiny.

The question poses itself: “Why should I care if some influencer”s pretending to fly private? I actually do.”

And that’s exactly the point. For those of us in the real high-net-worth space, the CEOs, the artists, the athletes, and the professionals who value discretion, quality, and seamless travel and many of which we call friends and clients, this influencer fakery dilutes the prestige of genuine luxury aviation.

It also makes our job slightly harder. Every time someone posts a “fake flight” and claims it’s a G700 charter, it creates false expectations, confused clients, and a misrepresentation of value. Luxury travel isn’t about flexing for Instagram, so allow us a quick reminder of its many advantages:

• Saving time
• Protecting your privacy
• Traveling with efficiency and comfort
• Enjoying the experience, not just the optics

We serve a clientele that doesn’t need to pose next to jets, because they’re already on board. Whatever way you might feel about an economy that attempts to exploit your lifestyle, we can’t help but expose its mechanics and ensure you decide it yourself. In most cases, we opt for smiling and reel on. Want to find out more about the advantates of flying private? It’s all covered it in our guide.

In what has been one of the most fun posts we’ve done in a while, our team decided to create a checklist that helps separate the jet-setters from the jet-pretenders. As you may well know, there are signs, and while we hope you can take this whole piece lightheartedly, let’s move along into what we defined as real vs fake:

Pro tip: If someone’s tagging the aircraft model and the champagne brand but can’t spell “Farnborough” correctly, it’s very likely they’re  grounded.

Should you be so fortunate that this is your first visit to JetFinder.com, you’ll be please to know we’re not Instagram influencers. We’re a real private jet charter service who’s been influencing how our clients fly: in luxury private jets, with utmost privacy, convenience, and availability.

So next time you see someone pretending to live 40,000 feet above their means, just remember: You can rent the image, or you can fly the real thing.

If you’re ready for takeoff, contact us now for your free quote and start flying with substance, not just style!