Little Old Lady Saves $9 Million then Dies
Every year or so we hear another story about a person who passed away and had secretly amassed quite a large sum of money. In this case a legal secretary who had a net worth of $9,000,000.
http://m.newser.com/story/258891/secretary-lived-frugally-for-96-years-then-donated-millions.html
The truth is that I don’t find this story motivational. In fact I think it is quite sad. I think a lot about the reasons I want to build wealth. Safety, security, opportunity for myself as well as family/friends, leisure, free time, etc.
When I read this story I imagined some super cheap penny pinching person who even though she was wealthy still lived in subsidized housing. She never shared her wealth even with her husband who had already passed away.
Why build wealth if you and your family never enjoy the benefits? Why bother? Donating the bulk to charity seems like even more of a slap in the face to family. This person seems more like a hoarder of money than an investor and I am not impressed.