'You deserve it!' Internet supports 'multi-millionaire' who hid his wealth from family
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: A multi-millionaire revealed that he kept his wealth a secret from his family, detailing the measures took to keep his fortune a secret. The anonymous person on Reddit explains that when his parents learned that he was rich after hearing about his salary from his first job, they "insisted" that he paid for expenses when they visited.
But soon, the millionaire explains, it became a pattern where his parents expected many gifts and asked him to pay every time they went out and also asked him to contribute to his siblings' university fees. In the Reddit post, the user now explains how he tries to hide his wealth from his parents, even going so far as to rent a modest apartment to fool them into thinking he is less wealthy and struggles when they visit. In the True Off My Chest thread, he posts, "I'm a multi-millionaire and when my family visits I rent an apartment to pretend that's where I live."
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'They just wanted free vacation and made me a tour guide'
"It all started when I went to study abroad and after graduating I landed a job. The first thing I did after getting accepted was call my mum. The first thing she asked was ‘how much are they paying you?" the user explained. “I should’ve known then but I was too young I don’t blame myself. I told her my salary… Now my salary for that country was below average. I would barely afford to live decently and save pennies. But when you convert it to my home country’s currency it’s a lot. My parents automatically thought I was now “rich” and their behaviour changed. They insisted I treat them with my first pay check and pay for them to visit me. I naively did, and they didn’t spend one penny for the whole month they 'visited' me. Looking back at it they didn’t care much about me, they just wanted a free vacation and made me their tour guide,” he said.
He added, “When I visit back home, they’d expect me to bring them lots of gifts and pay every time we went out. They even started telling me that I should contribute and pay for my siblings’ university tuitions. Funny thing when I was still a student I worked two jobs to support myself, and they barely texted or called me. When I got that job, I’d suddenly wake up to good morning texts and they’d call regularly. I slowly started realising how toxic these people were and that I should draw some boundaries. So I slowly stopped calling and texting. I stopped updating them about my life. I decided they didn’t deserve to know me.”
'I told my family I found a job but it doesn’t pay much'
Moreover, during the pandemic, the anonymous entrepreneur decided to quit his job and start his own business, which eventually flourished. He then also decided to lie to his family, telling them he had lost his job and was in financial trouble, and since then his family has stopped visiting him. "They immediately stopped reaching out and unless I called I never heard from them,” he said. “Fast forward today, I am so blessed and grateful to be financially at ease. To protect myself, I told my family I found a job but it doesn’t pay much and the cost of living is high. Now when they visit, they pay for their own flights, and they don’t go out much. I also rent a small apartment and tell them that’s where I live – I actually live in a penthouse. I use public transport with them. I don’t care if it takes two buses and two trains unless they want to pay for a cab that’s what we’re doing. We go walk around the neighbourhood where I actually live and we fantasise about what it would be like to live in one of those places. I keep two suitcases packed with all my old clothes and I keep three boxes with all my usual dinnerware, books, etc."
He continued, "When I know they’re visiting I tell my assistant to find an apartment in x neighbourhood and put my old stuff there. I tell them I changed apartments and I rent furnished ones 'cause they’re cheaper. So far they absolutely have no clue. I still like my family and I don’t want to completely cut them off. I like having them around and it’s fun for me too. I will never tell them and they will always know me as that poor family member struggling abroad.”
'You deserve it,' says Internet
Internet users supported the Reddit man's decision claiming money changes people. One user posted, "in all honesty, i would completely cut ties with such 'family'... they couldn't care less about OP. if he'll ever need help, they will pretend he doesn't even exists. what good it is to keep in touch with people that only use you and never care for you?" Another mocked the users statement, "we go walk around the neighborhood where i actually live and we fantasize about what it would be like to live in one of those places…" saying, "Until one day, one of your actual neighbours calls out to you and greets you xP." A third added, "my family is the same with my parents. We also moved overseas and by the grace of God our business started doing well. Well enough where we didn't struggle and family overseas started demanded money. It All started with sob stories and guilt my father into offering them help, then started go escalate to more expenses things and calling only when they needed money. To the point my father started saying how business is struggling ever since Covid-19 and when I go on vacation I'm not allowed to post online. Which I'd fucked up cause no one believes me I pay for my OWN vacations with my OWN money by working TWO jobs. I grew up with these people and now that I'm an adult I see them from a different light. Money changes people and most of the times not in a good way. I've seen the sweetest people turn nasty when money was involved, I just couldn't believe my eyes. Your plan is good for now but are you planning on doing that for the rest of your life?" A fourth wrote, "That is one hell of an elaborate way to avoid standing up for yourself and just telling them no." "Long as you’re happy bro! Congrats for making things happen on your own, u deserve it! Ppl tend to wanna be around more when it’s beneficial for them," read a comment.
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