Billionaires Who Stayed Modest

What will you do if you have a billion dollars in your pocket? Organize a party, make your money grow? Here are billionaires rather thrifty who keep a modest lifestyle despite their fortune.

1. Mark Zuckerberg

The founder of Facebook is 30 years old. Compared to other billionaires, he leads a ‘simple’ life. Admittedly, he moved to Palo Alto in residence estimated at 7 million dollars (5.16 million euros), but according to the Los Angeles Times daily, the house is still only a trifle if one is judging his savings account.

From what is said, Zuckerberg goes to his office every day in Acura “because it is a safe and visually impaired car.” The talented entrepreneur is also known in the United States for his gray t-shirts and hoodies and certainly not for an extravagant look. Her marriage to Priscilla Chan took place in her garden, and the couple was seen during their honeymoon in Italy at the local McDonald’s.

2. David Cheriton

Despite his $ 1.3 billion (0.96 billion euros) in wealth, acquired by buying Google shares, David Cheriton, a 63-year-old professor at Standford, doesn’t like the idea of ​​living like a billionaire. “There is something wrong with those who have built houses with 13 bathrooms,” he said in 2006 in an interview. Cheriton considers himself spoiled, because he goes, for example, on vacation to Hawaii to surf. According to a profile on Forbes, his latest extravagance seems to be a 2012 Honda Odyssey.

3. Ingvar Kamprad (1926-2018)

Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish entrepreneur and founder of the IKEA furniture chain, confesses during an interview in 2006 that he used to drives his 15-year-old Volvo and flies in economy class. His sober lifestyle was also reflected in his Swiss home, furnished with inexpensive IKEA furniture, complemented by a pair of family pieces. According to the British tabloid The Daily Mail, Kamprad, and his wife were often spotted in inexpensive restaurants. Some Swedes are convinced that Kamprad was not as economical and sober as he seems.

4. Tony Hsieh

In addition to being the CEO of the famous shoe store Zappos.com, Tony Hsieh is determined to do something for the environment. He is currently investing $ 350 million (some 258 million euros) to breathe new life into Las Vegas. Despite a full savings account, he hasn’t changed his lifestyle since entering the business world. “He would also be happy with a dollar in the bank and the company of people around him,” said Erik Moore, a former investor at Zappos.

5. Carlos Slim Helu

Carlos Slim Helu, a 74-year-old Mexican businessman, although he calls himself the richest man in the world, he doesn’t ostentatiously spend his money. The self-made billionaire still lives for 30 years in his modest 6-bedroom house, he always goes to the office behind the wheel of his car and does not have, at least as far as we know, a private yacht nor a personal plane.

6. Amancio Ortega

2012 seems to have been a good year for Amancio Ortega, Spanish entrepreneur and founder of Inditex Group (Zara, Massimo Dutti…). He has seen his fortune rise to some 22.2 billion dollars (16.36 billion euros), but this financial success does not go to his head. Ortega and his wife live in a discreet apartment in La Coruña in Spain, and the multi-billionaire is in the habit of dressing in a blue blazer, a white t-shirt, and gray pants. He goes to the same cafe and has lunch with his colleagues in the cafeteria of Zara. Ortega drives an Audi A8, not really the most luxurious car a billionaire can buy. A little extravagance all the same: the 78-year-old Spaniard has his private jet — value: 45 million dollars (33.16 million euros).

7. Tim Cook

Apple’s current CEO, Tim Cook, may be called a billionaire technically speaking, but money matters are the least of his concerns. He opts for a modest lifestyle. Cook lives in a 223 m2 ‘simple’ apartment in Palo Alto, which he acquired in 2010 for the sum of 1.9 million dollars (approximately 1.4 million euros). In the book “Inside Apple,” he says: “I would like people to remember where I come from and to know that a modest environment suits me. It is not the money that motivates me. ”

Conclusion

Modesty and simplicity are not the compulsions of the less privileged but the most privileged ones choose it with pride. In fact, simplicity and modesty can take out most of the complexities from life, making it more manageable and enjoyable.