The slogan originates from a quote that is attributed to philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau: "When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich". Today, "Eat the rich" is used as a chant against wealth inequality in progressive political rallies and online spaces alike. However, it isn't only a condemnation of the economic system, but rather power in general. It can sometimes be heard in various social movements.

It's also used to express outrage at how out of touch a wealthy person is being by flaunting their wealth.

The slogan has been used in recent online movements that sought to strike at the wallet of the wealthy. During the GameStop short squeeze, calls to "Eat the rich" accompanied denunciations of the power of institutional investors and the desire to bankrupt the hedge funds who were shorting GME stocks. On Tiktok, "Eat the rich" accompanied a viral call to action that sought to decrease the follower count of celebrities and how much they were getting paid based on that following.

The slogan is also sometimes used in jest by those who are aware of the privilege of their economic status, especially compared to people who aren't in developed countries. Though generally, the critic centers around extreme wealth and the corresponding political power that comes with it.
1. Have you seen Kim Kardashian humble bragging about her private island in the middle of the pandemic?

Holy shit, eat the rich

2. You say eat the rich, but you have a fridge with a water dispenser.
by Moon Landing June 11, 2021
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The movement to strike back against obnoxious rich and wealthy
-Did you see that girl flashing her expensive purse one day we will eat the rich
by Rayden,. March 17, 2020
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Eat the rich is a term that is used to talk about unfair distribution of money. Most people think the term is about anyone who makes a fair wage or can afford luxury brands. While that is part of the term, eat the rich really means billionares, the top 1% that consists of all the celebrities and CEOs.
Person 1: We need to eat the rich! Like that girl over there with her $1000 iphone.
Person 2: Yeah, we do need to eat the rich, but it needs to be billionares like taylor swift or elon musk.
by Fucking ur momma June 23, 2023
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A saying used by obnoxious teenage alt girls who are usually ironically upper middle class with parents who make over 150k a year and live in 900 thousand dollar houses
Emily: eat the rich *typed from her 1000$ iphone that her parents bought her*
by Ballsinmyface200 February 18, 2021
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Just take a bite outta them, full blown cannibalism. The more cash the better. If they upset you, just eat the fucker.
Some people protest the expanding economic gap between the rich and the poor. Me? I eat the rich.
by GirthasaurusFlex420 December 12, 2019
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Hey, Matt, come out today to eat the rich, maybe?
No, not today, I gotta bash the fash
by shane hates cops November 9, 2019
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What young people type on their expensive iPhone/Galaxy to maintain social approval
Elon sold 500,000 new Teslas this year, one of the biggest contributors to end global warming

Young person: Cobalt child labour, Eat The Rich

Tesla announced to stop using cobalt while all other car companies continue cobalt use

Young person: Emerald mine, Eat The Rich

News sources find no evidence of Elon’s dad owning an emerald mine

Young person: Shut the fuck up Elon, Eat the rich
by kakapoopooaccount April 4, 2021
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