Is an Albany High Student 'Itslavish,' the Internet 'Rich Kid' with Hundreds of Thousands of Followers?

Internet sleuths seeking the offline identity of a controversial Instagram phenomenon have followed a digital trail to a student at Albany High School.

Beginning in January, a teenager using the handle Itslavishbitch has drawn tens of thousands of followers to his Instagram account by flaunting his alleged wealth with pictures of cash, credit cards, gold bullion and receipts for designer accessories. The pictures are usually captioned with taunts like this one announcing a cash giveaway: "Lavish is giving away 60K all in cash. That's more than yo life's earnings. So begin begging peasants."

While the persona has garnered a following, it’s not a fan base founded solely on admiration. A media outlet in Australia has branded Lavish "Instagram's biggest douchebag.” Calling himself Param, the owner of the Itslavishbitch Instagram account told news.com.au that it’s no gag. He really is the wealthy son of South Asian tycoons living in San Francisco with cash stashed around his house and a special plumbing system that flushes sparkling water through his “toilette."

The story is not surviving crowd-sourced scrutiny. Skeptics have unearthed a trove of evidence from the web pointing to a more ordinary background, including the theory that Lavish is Param Sharma, a student at Albany High School. One picture Lavish posted to his Instagram account shows him posing at the intersection of Brighton and Masonic avenues near Albany Middle School. Online commenters didn’t waste time calling the scene “ghetto” and an unlikely backdrop for a young mogul.

Albany Patch messaged Lavish via his Facebook account Saturday. As of Monday morning, there was no reply. 

But beyond the question of veracity lies an additional question of motive. What is Lavish's inspiration? Does he sincerely seek to project an image of riches beyond the reach of most people, or is he mocking a global culture obsessed with high-end consumerism. Perhaps the answer is found in an online book, “It’s Lavish B*itch: The Guide.”

Yours for only three dollars.