Literal translation
he is as rich as Croesus
Meaning
he's as rich as Croesus
Explanation
This comparison, transparent in both Provençal and French, denotes extreme wealth by reference to Croesus, king of Lydia in antiquity, who became throughout Western culture the very symbol of fabulous fortune. The two words that make it up, rich and Croesus, are directly attested in our dictionaries, requiring no adaptation or figurative detour to be understood: unlike other Provençal comparisons built on rural or animal imagery, this one draws on the common cultural heritage bequeathed by antiquity and shared with everyday French. The expression works exactly the same way in both languages, making it a rare case of a set comparison fully transparent across them. It is used to stress, without much stylistic invention but quite effectively, a person's considerable opulence, in a register that is ordinary, neither especially casual nor formal, fit for any conversation where one wants to emphasise a fortune judged exceptional.