Hidden wealth

A 68-year-old American retiree was frugally living off her $38,000 annual pension and did not touch her savings, which she had reserved for emergencies.

Certified public accountant and retirement planner Kurt Suppe learned of the woman’s case and shared it on X, including the financial advice he gave her.

According to Suppe, the woman deprived herself of enjoying her retirement due to the misconception that she would overspend her $2.8 million in savings. He convinced his client to withdraw $120,000 annually from her savings, NDTV reported.

She now visits her grandchildren in Phoenix, Arizona, every quarter, has taken them to Disney World, and no longer stresses over everyday expenses, according to NDTV.

“You don’t get a prize for dying with the most money,” read Suppe’s posted advice to wealthy retirees. The statement went viral and garnered over 5 million views.

Meanwhile, a 66-year-old Japanese retiree and his wife were living in Tokyo on a combined monthly pension of 300,000 yen.

The wife was extremely frugal and managed their finances tightly, given the high cost of living and the couple’s support for their two children’s education, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

One day, the husband, who regularly bought lottery tickets, won a jackpot of 600 million yen. He told his wife he had won only 5 million yen and would use it for home renovations, according to the report.

He then secretly splurged on a luxury car, stayed at high-end hot spring resorts, and traveled across Japan, spending 18 million yen in just six months. He avoided suspicion by wearing old clothes and distancing himself from friends and relatives.

Soon, however, he felt guilt and loneliness for not sharing the moment with his family. Upon the advice of a financial planner, he invested nearly 500 million yen of the lottery winnings into insurance, naming his wife and children as beneficiaries, according to SCMP.