         Occasionally I meet somebody outside of the context of my personal history, and in one way or another, it will become evident to them that I'm wealthy. And they say, "I'll be damned! You're not at all what I would expect." Hearing that always pleases me: I take it as a high compliment. I've had to work hard not to buy into the stereotypes about rich people. And I see those stereotypes everywhere. I want people to make up their mindsnot only about me, but also about other people I know who have moneybased on who they are, based on what they are doing, and based on what they love.
- A young heir interviewed by The Inheritance Project. |
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I N T R O D U C T I O N p a g e 2
When John married, not even his wife knew that he would someday be very wealthy and that he had already received substantial assets from his parents. John eventually told his wife, but her parents still don't know. He says, though, that "they know. They don't know explicitly, but they know. My in-laws and my parents get along very well, and they visit each other, and Debbie's parents are observant; they see how my parents live, and they see how Debbie and I live. And they're thrilled. They know that their daughter and their grandchildren are provided for. So most of the time it's just fine. But now and then they'll say things to my mom like, 'You're nice—for a rich person.' "
John is always on the lookout for other people who may be like him and who may be hiding their wealth, as he does. His wife has also developed her own radar for detecting hidden heirs. "There's this guy at our church," says John, "and Debbie has kind of been watching him because she's picked up on the signals we give off that lead other people to think, 'Hmm, I wonder where they get all their money from?' This guy is married and they have two kids. They have a home and two new cars, his wife isn't working, and he's looking for a job. I have this hunger to connect with them and find out if he's in my position."
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