The world has “haves” (the rich) and “have nots” (the poor). A new category is sometimes added—the “have yachts” (mega-rich). A battle between the “haves” and “have yachts” is a battle between the rich and the ultra-rich.
 
“The world seems to be divided into two classes — the have-nots and the have-yachts” was cited in 1949 and credited to Mervin L. Lane. “In Hollywood, we hear, the population is divided into two groups—the have-nots and the have-yachts’ was published in a 1961 entertainment column by Earl Wilson (1907-1987).
 
     
Google Books
Insurance Newsweek
Volume 50
1949
Pg. 96:
Haw Haws by Lou (Rochester) Hawes: “The world seems to be divided into two classes — the have-nots and the have-yachts.”
—MERVIN L. LANE
 
22 February 1961, Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch, Earl Wilson syndicated entertainment column, pg. 35, col. 2:
In Hollywood, we hear, the population is divided into two groups—the have-nots and the have-yachts.
 
5 March 1961, Oakland (CA) Tribune, “Trade Winds” by Lou Schneider, pg. 45, col. 1:
Florida’s Gold Coast has two classes of wintering vacationists: the have-nots and have-yachts.
 
Google Books
The Comic Encyclopedia:
A Library of the Literature and History of Humor Containing Thousands of Gags, Sayings, and Stories
By Evan Esar
Garden City, NY: Doubleday
1978
Pg. 355:
There are two classes of people: the have-nots and the have-yachts.
 
Los Angeles (CA) Times
Finding Out What Separates the Haves and Have Yachts
October 27, 1991 | DANA PARSONS
I never watch “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” because I’m petty and spiteful and resentful of other people’s success and, besides, why waste a perfectly good Hostess Twinkie throwing it at the television.
     
The Guardian (UK)
City bonuses stretch gap between ‘haves’ and ‘have yachts’
Sam Wollaston @samwollaston
Saturday 6 January 2007 18.54 EST
The dining table on board Sunseeker’s new 37-metre yacht seats 12 and is made of American black walnut.
 
Twitter
NYT Sports
‏@NYTSports
America’s Cup: America’s Cup Draws the Haves and the Have-Yachts to Spain http://tinyurl.com/yvwr6b
5:08 PM - 14 Apr 2007
 
Twitter
383BBCNews
‏@383BBCNews
In Bangor, there are two kinds of people, the locals joke: the “have nots” and the “have yachts”.......
3:46 AM - 24 Jun 2008
 
Google Groups: soc.culture.israel
‘The Ascent Of Money’
Kosher Cunny
11/24/08
(...)
Angry that the world is so unfair? Infuriated by fat-cat capitalists and billion-bonus bankers? Baffled by the yawning chasm between the Haves, the Have-nots - and the Have-yachts?
 
Twitter
Ben Phillips
‏@benphillips76
Inequality: The haves, the have nots, and the have yachts.
4:41 AM - 11 Dec 2012
 
Forbes.com
JAN 22, 2014 @ 06:46 PM
Separating The “Haves” From The “Have Yachts” On Wall Street
Timothy Spangler , CONTRIBUTOR
Just like there is a 99% and a 1%, the 1% has its own 99% and 1%.
 
Washington (DC) Examiner
The haves and have-yachts: New York’s newest tax break for the rich
By JASON RUSSELL • 4/1/15 2:57 PM
We’ve heard of liberal politicians calling for extra taxes on the wealthy by taxing their yachts and private planes, but special tax breaks for those same luxury items are nearly unheard of.
 
Twitter
Matt Starns
‏@themattstarns
Newport, RI: “There are two types of people: the haves and the have yachts.”
5:49 PM - 2 Nov 2015
 
Twitter
A in Comp Gov OMG
‏@AbrahamHaji
World: haves and have nots
McLean: haves and have yachts
7:22 PM - 3 Nov 2015