12+ People Who’ve Made a Fortune Share What Their “Perfect” Lives Are Really Like

Stories about the lucky guys that got rich are not just things we see in the movies. And in reality, this is not the end of the story, it’s just the beginning. The way a person uses their money will define if their story is happy or full of regret.

We at Bright Side think that big money doesn’t just change someone’s lifestyle, but also the people who have it. Look at what the people that got rich have to say about their experiences. And don’t miss the interesting bonus we have for you at the end of the article.

• My grandfather won the lottery at the age of 75. Before he was able to cash it in, he suffered a stroke. Knowing that he had a winning ticket to cash, motivated him to recover. Once he got well, he gave up his bad habits and took better care of himself. He paid off the debts he owed and then traveled to Australia, toured Europe, and visited his childhood home in Norway. He said that was the best experience of his life. He passed away at 91. © Sailormercuryaz / Reddit
• My family went from being on welfare to roughly middle to upper class. Not sure if it’s rich to most people here but to me, it’s worlds better. A few things changed. No more moldy bread and ketchup sandwiches. More material goods. Clothes, books, video games, and other luxuries are much more commonplace now. They used to be Christmas things but they’ve become once a month presents. My dad now has his own business and works up to 16 hours a day. I don’t see him as often as I’d like, but I usually see him a few hours a week. Lifestyle wise I’m happier and feel much, much safer. No more scrounging or worrying. © saucerjellyfish / Reddit

“A year ago I was homeless. A year later I moved into my new apartment. Life does get better, don’t give up.”

• I inherited a large sum following the death of both of my parents. What have I done with the money since I received it? Absolutely nothing. I still live in the same home, I still have the same job, and have not changed anything about my lifestyle. I do breathe easier now, knowing that I have a safety net should anything happen, and knowing that my son’s college education is taken care of. I feel very grateful that my parents taught me and my sister from an early age how important it is to live below your means. They were both extremely down to earth and remained relatively frugal despite their wealth. The craziest thing is watching the money grow in the market. My investment account will earn in one day what it takes me a week to earn in my job. © Rebecca Mitchell / Quora
• I grew up not having a whole lot. I had everything I needed and a lot of what I wanted, but only because my mom and dad worked really hard. In college, I thought that rich people were immoral and evil. Then I married a guy who made a LOT of money off a drone company. As in, mid-seven figures. It was totally weird for me, and I was really conflicted. With my attitude then, if he hadn’t been the kindest, sweetest, most loving guy I’d ever met, I probably would not have married him. Then I got a Benz for my birthday. I loved it. I’d never had a nice car that drives like it’s floating. I lived in a huge house, and if I wanted something all I had to do was ask. I lost my identity for a while. I battled with the thought that I’d become the people I used to hate. And then I accepted myself because the rich people I met in my new life turned out to be very nice guys. © Wendi Brown / Quora

• My sole objective was to retire early and travel year long. As of today, I feel like I work just to pay my taxes, and my plan to retire in a tax heaven island is slowly becoming a reality. So I am still the same. I still spend the same (buy groceries at a discount, travel off-season, cook at home, simple hybrid car). However, I made the mistake of telling my parents and their attitude changed totally. Since I shared my level of wealth with my parents, I became the stupid rich, the unresponsive son, the son they didn’t want to have. It would not be so bad if they were not secret millionaires themselves. © Anonymous / Quora

“6 months into becoming self-employed as a full-time photographer. I bought my dream business car a month ago. I’m really happy and proud of myself.”

• My parents lived paycheck-to-paycheck, none of us ever went hungry but I could tell they cut down on portions some nights so my brother and I could eat until we were full. I was terribly shy. I’d always been interested in programming as a fun activity during my minuscule amount of free time. I sold a few Minecraft plugins in the past few years, I didn’t make much but I gave it all to my parents, we went out to a fancy restaurant and it was gone just like that. I also made a few WordPress themes that I thought I’d try to pawn off on some local business owners. By the time I was in 12th grade I was about to become a millionaire and not a single person at my school knew. I could wear expensive clothes, go on trips with my family, I really could do whatever I wanted. It’s funny how people start treating your differently. Now I’m done with high school, and I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life. I think I’ll probably go to university to study mathematics and computer science. It doesn’t really matter what happens with that, I’ll be learning for the sake of learning. For me, money has bought freedom. The returns on my various investments and the income from the themes will last me the rest of my life. © Anonymous / Quora
• I made enough money selling my company to retire at 40 and do whatever I want. That was 10 years ago. Retiring young is not quite as I expected. It’s been good, but different than I imagined. The biggest shock is how few people are in the same boat as you. Virtually everyone else works. You often end up spending your time with old retirees who are 20-30 years older than you, and getting a very different perspective on life. © Joe McCracken / Quora

“My first day as a web dev with my dream company, this job changes my family’s lives in so many ways. I’m so excited.”

• Before wealth, I felt like I was forever running around every day at top speed to get as much done as possible. I felt like I had to try every possible route to success because the weight of my wife and kids relying on my success was heavy. And my family life revolved around the word “no.” No we can’t afford to do that, buy that, see that, experience that, have that, etc. After wealth, I find I don’t need to rush anymore. I drive slower. I pick and choose the opportunities I want to pursue. I fear my kids are getting spoiled. But I’ve found that wealth brings along a new series of stresses. My wife and I can afford to live in a much bigger house, but we can’t agree on where we want to live or what kind of house we want to get. It sounds like a small issue, but it’s not. Also, my wife has stopped cooking — meaning my kids never feel like they have a home-cooked meal. And we have too much stuff. There’s so much stuff that we’ve run out of places to store stuff. © Scott Thompson / Quora

• I got born into a lower average social environment in a very small Austrian city. The apartment we lived in was small. The whole environment was working class, with most folks around working in the local steel mill. When I grew up, I wanted to start my own business and I did. It wasn’t easy and I’m not extremely rich now. Am I feeling wealthy? YES — I can live a life with the freedom to not have to work for someone else’s dreams and to be able to buy whatever I want without needing to think about the effect on my bank account. I don´t need a Ferrari, tried that once. It’s probably one of the most uncomfortable cars you can sit in, especially when you’re in a traffic jam. The same goes for a $300K watch. At a certain point, the price is no longer about quality, but just about exclusiveness. © Werner Hochleitner / Quora

• At a very young age, I inherited money from my father, so I went from being a regular employee earning enough to live paycheck to paycheck to having an abundance of wealth. I was overwhelmed with responsibilities because the money came from a business that needed to be run smoothly. The first change was my attitude toward work, I no longer clock out at the end of the day and just go home, I live and breathe work 24/7. The next change was the number of buddies I had, the strangest people came out of the woodwork when they realized I’d come into a lot of money and I had a period of being targeted as a naive heiress. It took a few years and a horrible marriage to differentiate between friends and gold diggers. © Haleema Humaid / Quora

• Well yes, money kind of changes you. I made a small fortune in the crash of 2007–2008. So I paid off my mortgage, took my family skiing at a top resort, and looked for a bigger plot of land to build a house on, but gave up since I really like my neighborhood. I have a friend who is significantly wealthier than me who has a good life doing as he pleases. I asked myself if I wanted that lifestyle, but after careful consideration, I didn’t. I freelance for a living and although I could have stopped work, I love being forced into new situations and meeting new people. If I retired this would stop. Randomness and serendipity can be so much fun. But what really makes wealth fun is giving. I recently made a friend with a struggling artist who is hugely talented. She had an upcoming exhibition so I mentioned she should try and look as professional as possible and wear a suit for the event. To save her pride, I loaned her money to buy a suit (sometimes a gift must be disguised to save face). The expression on her face was priceless; disbelief, joy, gratitude all in one face. They say you can’t take it with you when you go. But what I can take with me is the memory of these individuals’ faces after receiving the gift. © Colin Larcombe / Quora

Bonus: Everything changes but salmon is always cool.

Do you think that money changes people? Tell us in the comment section below!