A multi-millionaire has opened up about their decision to hide their immense wealth from their family, explaining how they go to great lengths to hide it.
Ever since their small business rocketed in popularity during lockdown, the anonymous entrepreneur has chosen to keep tight-lipped about their wealth.
They first felt a need to remain quiet about their fortune when their parents would continuously ask for money towards their visits, even when the millionaire was on a smaller salary. The mystery mogul says their parents would treat it as a 'free vacation'.
Taking to popular forum site Reddit, the person explained: "I'm a multi-millionaire and when my family visits I rent an apartment to pretend that's where I live."
After telling their family the sum of their old salary, which was considerably lower than what they earn now, the person says they fell into a 'pattern' or regularly funding their visits.
They said: "They started telling other family members that they should visit me and that I'll take care of them. 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' Uni tuitions."
The multi-millionaire went on: "I slowly started realising how toxic these people were and that I should draw some boundaries. So I slowly stopped calling/texting, I stopped updating them about my life, etc… I decided they didn't deserve to know me.
"When the pandemic hit I was just starting my business and working from home gave me more time to focus on it. Gradually my business became more lucrative until I was able to quit my job. I kept reinvesting in my business then I started investing in other businesses. During this time I told my family I lost my job and I was struggling. They immediately stopped reaching out and unless I called I never heard from them.
"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 lol."
To keep up pretences, the person claims to 'rent a small apartment' and tricks their family into believing that's where they live despite actually residing in a penthouse.
"We go walk around the neighbourhood where I actually live and we fantasize about what it would be like to live in one of those places…" they admitted.
"I keep two suitcases packed with all my old clothes and I keep three boxes with all my usual dinnerware, books, etc. 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.
"Now 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. Nobody knows about this and it's not like I can share this with people I know in real life."
They added: "Right now I'm writing this while sleeping on the floor of my living room in my 'apartment', my bedroom and couch are taken by family members. I will never tell them and they will always know me as that poor family member struggling abroad."
Since sharing their story, the person's thread has raked in over 350 comments to date - where people admitted they were torn by their decision.
One person admitted: "In all honesty, I think I would do the same."
On the other hand, a different Reddit user wrote: "Nah, he shouldn't cut all ties. He might need a kidney one day…"
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