This guy is a multimillionaire but won’t tell his family! When his family comes to visit, he rents an apartment to pretend he lives in a modest apartment. He took to Reddit to explain why.
A Successful Businessman
Meet our storyteller, a successful businessman who has kept a big secret from his family.
Working Abroad
When he first landed a job abroad, his family immediately thought he was rich.
When he phoned his mom to tell her the good news, the first thing she asked was, “What are they paying you?”
A sign of things to come!
Envious
Despite his wage being below average in that country, they thought he was rich after hearing about his salary.
He could barely afford to live decently and couldn’t save money, but when you convert it to his home country’s currency, it was a lot.
His Family Treated Him Differently
His family’s behavior immediately began to change, and they started insisting that he pay for their visits to him.
The family would come to stay with him and not spend a penny.
Taking Advantage
They would rely on him to be their tour guide and ATM and take care of all their expenses.
They also wanted him to contribute to his siblings’ tuition fees!
Toxic Relationship
This went on for a while until the original poster (OP), who had previously worked two jobs to support himself, began to feel the toxicity of the situation and decided to set boundaries.
Fair-Weather Family
He realized that when he was poor, his family barely contacted him, but after he got this new job, he’d regularly wake up to good morning texts, and they’d phone much more regularly.
Lying to Protect Himself
When the pandemic hit, our storyteller started his business, which grew to become more lucrative over time.
To protect himself from his family’s greed, he lied to his family about losing his job and struggling financially.
Unsurprisingly they immediately stopped reaching out to him unless he called.
He Started Living a Double Life
When they visited, he rented a small apartment and pretended it was his home.
He used public transportation with them and went to the neighborhood where he actually lived to fantasize about living there!
He kept two suitcases packed with old clothes and three boxes with his usual dinnerware, books, and other stuff.
Rented a Fake Apartment
OP would then ask his assistant to find an apartment and move his old things there, and that’s where he would tell his family that he lives.
He loves his family and doesn’t want to cut them off completely, but he knows that he needs to keep this secret from them to maintain a loving relationship.
Keeping Secrets
It’s sad that he can’t share his success with them without jeopardizing their relationship, but that’s how things are.
His parents did not understand the wage vs the cost of living in the country he was working in and still expected him to contribute financially.
Just Greedy
OP’s parents are middle-class back home, so he thinks it’s not like they were struggling, but they were greedy.
There Is a Crisis
It’s cultural to contribute part of your wage where he is from, and he can’t just cut off or say no to his family.
OP knows that he will step up and help his family if they are ever in a crisis, but he prefers to do it anonymously.
Friends Are Family
Although he can’t share his success with his family without jeopardizing their relationship, OP has a small group of friends who have always been supportive of him.
He considers them to be his family, and they have been a constant source of encouragement and positivity in his life.
New Investments
He’d helped them invest in their businesses and wants them to succeed as much as he has!
Not Close
Nowadays, his family only visits him once every two years or so, and they stay for two to three weeks.
He’s told them that he found a job, but it does not pay much, and the cost of living is high.
When they visit, they pay for their own flights, and they do not go out much.
Keeping Up the Facade
OP still rents a small apartment and pretends it is his home, so they’ll never suspect that he is actually a successful businessman who lives in a penthouse.
A Smart Strategy
He finds it unnecessary to buy an apartment that they will only use during their visits and thinks of it as a waste of resources.
Furnished apartments are cheaper where he currently lives, so if his family ever starts asking he tells them he moves frequently due to rent, and that’s why his furniture keeps changing.
A Lesson Learned
This guy’s story is not unique, and many people find themselves in similar situations. It’s essential to set boundaries and not let others take advantage of you, even if they’re family!
Everything in Control
OP has learned this lesson the hard way, but he’s now in a position to control the situation and protect himself. He may not be able to share his success with his family, but he has found a way to maintain a loving relationship with them.
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The post Multimillionaire Invented a Double Life to Hide His Fortune From His Freeloading Family first appeared on Wealthy Living.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Luis Molinero. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
This post is based on Reddit but the names have been changed.