fat cat

Meanings

1. A rich person who contributes to a political campaign.
2. Any affluent person who is perceived to have profited from the labor of others; and/or not to care about those of lesser means.
3. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see fat, cat.

Etymology

The phrase was first used in the 1920s in the United States to describe rich political donors. By the middle of the 20th century, the term was being applied more widely to any wealthy individual.