I have 3-4 that I know I could rely on no matter what it is. Been mates since school and although we all live 1000's of miles apart in various Countries/Continents, all have wives and families we would be there for each other if needed.

I have a daft theory that work people are not real, when they are out of your sight they do not exist.

At work eveyrone wants to be a best mate but you never see them outside of work. When you do go out on a boozy work do everyone starts the BS "ohhhhh your so awesome to work with we should go out more often" but then you never hear from them again.

I came to the conclusion years ago that all is not what it appears to be when it comes to 'close friends'. The number of drama, turgid tales and stray cocks going round the pub was alarming, friends being caught with other peoples wives, spouses having affairs, the whole pub knew except the wronged spouse.

Just noticed this thread, and strangely it was a subject of debate at home last week. In my case, it would probably be 2 - the wife, and my best mate, who has been around for 34 odd years. Oddly, he and I have never argued, disagreed yes, but never argued or fallen out in all that time.

Not sure I'd get the same loyalty from the kids.....

There are several friends of mine that I would drop everything and help them if they needed it. Have done so a few times as well.

In return they have also helped me in the same way when I have needed it, and I wouldn't be the person I am now without them.

2 are from Uni, one is an ex of one of the two from uni, a couple of them are from meeting in the pub many years ago, and one is my ex wife, who is more like my best friend now (although she wasn't in a good position to help when my marriage to her fell apart!!!)

The responses don't surprise me, given this is an internet forum generally frequented by middle aged men. Some of them have post counts far too high to maintain friendships around it!

I'm 25, been with the lady for 7 years. Have one absolutely best mate, five or six (edited!) very close friends and lots of people who I socialise with regularly and like a great deal, but wouldn't call friends because we don't really make contact outside of piss ups.

I'm a very sociable person, though.

If I won £100m no-one would get £5m. I'd certainly try and make a few people's lives a little easier - pay off my sister's mortgage, for example; maybe get her a new car too - but wholesale shelling out cash? No chance.

People I've known for twenty years or more who've always been there for me in tough times and vice-versa.

Seeing all the "I have no friends" answers is enlightening in terms of what it says about modern society. People exist in islands of self-absorption.

I've got 3 mates who I could rely on for anything (and have had to in the past). Even though we live miles apart now and might not see each other for months, when I do see them it's like nothing we've never been away. Bromance for the win!

I suppose I should probably include the gf in this as well.

For REALLY close friends, I would say 2, the “lend them serious money/help them carry the body” type. One in particular has been a constant source of help, which try as I might, I haven’t been able to repay fully for 35 years now (known since school days). There are another 2 who I could trust with a great deal of personal information, and have done. The rest are just mates, people from work and people that I go out drinking with.
I don’t think anyone has any more than 5 close friends.