Who is the richest person in your family and why?

[ByFluentPombear]

Just being nosy! Who is the richest person in your family and how did they get there? Did they inherit wealth, build a business, work their way up in a high-paying career, or something else?

Do they live noticeably different from the rest of the family, or are they quite low-key about it?

No judgement - just curious about the different paths to financial success!

My aunt, her and her now deceased husband had no education to speak of but were given a council house when they got married on edge of London at 18.
She was a SAHM, and they lived happily on one manual labour salary. After a couple of moves in council houses as had children they later bought their house and sold it for a fortune so she now lives in South Hertfordshire in very nice area that most people can’t afford to live in.

I think it's probably my uncle, He made his money himself by being very successful in his chosen career.

Either my uncle (farmer, lots of land/buildings/holiday cottages to rent and monetise etc). Live a fairly simple life though.

Or partner (works in finance, earns what I see as crazy money - probably tops of 500k+ year). Came from nothing though and his parents still rent houses and live quite hand to mouth though of course he helps them.

Neither are flashy showy people

My uncle, started off from hard working and reasonably off but working class background, became the top in his game in a very niche creative industry that is hard to make a living out of. Makes a decent 6 figure salary but has also invested wisely and taken risks in investment that have paid off so had assets in the millions by the time he was 45.

My nephew.

Because he (a) worked hard and (b) made strategic decisions on the career direction to take to maximise his earnings. And (c) is very clever, although neither a nor c guarantees financial success.

Earning 500k+ I would 100% buy houses for my DPs.

My dad. Came from a working class family, but single child so inherited family properties and land down from his grandparents and parents. They weren't worth much at the time of his ancestors, but in a seaside town on the coast of France that gained considerable value thanks to tourism since the 50s.

Also benefited from the "boomers generation wealth": he went to uni (for free), got a degree and then benefited from a very stable job market for all his career, so ended up with very good earnings on the last 10 years. With generally low CoL during that time as well, he put a lot aside for his retirement.

Although we've been well supported during our childhood and uni years, I have very low expectations of any of this wealth being cascaded down the next generation. Boomers* lifestyle isn't cheap.

[*French middle class boomers]

An uncle, fled Nazi occupied Europe with family and made it to the UK. Opened a business. It grew and grew.

He won’t leave a penny to family. Even took my father’s estate when he died without a will as apparently he told everyone he didn’t have any children.

I am the least financially wealthy in my family (not that any of us are millionaires...).
I am the wealthiest in terms of experiences and life in my view. So I am happy with that.

Me I think. Worked up from min wage to a very good salary in the fintech world (but I'm also a single parent living close to London, so although I'm grateful it doesn't afford the life I thought it would!)

It's kind of funny because although I now own a home, my family are all in various council housing and they're a similar size/standard so on the accommodation front things look the same. I definitely spend more day to day, which is fairly obvious so I try and pick up the bill where I can/help them out. There's still a bit of jealousy though and I do find it pretty hard to navigate how to be generous without seeming condescending (and how to say no to avoid being seen as a bottomless cash cow!)

Second cousin is state educated, amazingly clever, went to Cambridge... CEO of a household name. His birthday gets mentioned in the Times. His parents were also very clever, but were University Lecturers, rather than CEOs. If my mum is to be believed he earns £2 million a year.

My mother in law has a cousin who owns a company that produces a well known brand for those in the construction industry. I've never met him. He did have some inherited wealth, but has really multiplied it.

Me….

not monetary, but I am happy, I have my health, my parents and my children are doing ok.
priceless!

A cousin who married money.

Probably my brother, always studied well at school, got an honours in genetics, moved to America where he got more for his money, married someone in the same field so twice the amount of equal income and chose to never have children, straight away more disposable income……….

My great uncle. Farmer. He talks like he’s on the breadline but all his kids went to private school and top unis, they have a big house, horses, and are fully paid up members of the red trouser brigade. He’s very funny though, and I do enjoy spending time with him.

My parents (80) but they have built their modest wealth from getting on the mortgage ladder in their 20's and putting into a pension from a young age. That's the one thing my dad drummed into me and my sister, put in a pension as soon as you are working. I'm 53 now and on track for a decent pension but I am fairly well-off due to a decent paid job - didn't go to Uni or higher education after 16. I am probably the most well off out of my similar age friends.

An elderly uncle. He's a chemist and he patented a formula, so good for him, he earned it fair and square. Its nothing super exciting, its something supermarkets use, I'm sure there are many such formulas but apparently he made a good one that got some commercial mileage. He's not super rich but he's definitely worth a few mil.

That said: the person who deserves to be the richest is an ICU consultant. No idea what he earns, I feel like it must be loads, but he lives in a perfectly ordinary modest house and drives a cheapish car. Maybe he never has time to buy a better one.

My uncle. He went from being homeless and having a nervous breakdown to running his own extremely successful business with his husband (who was his nurse when he had his nervous breakdown – they were together for 40+ years before his partner sadly died). He deserves every penny of it, imo.

Next is my brother who got a massive payout from a critical illness policy when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer (thankfully he had successful surgery and got the all clear). This happened shortly after my husband died and his insurance policy didn't cover the (genetic) condition that killed him. And my parents bought (and worked extremely hard to renovate) property so have done quite well out of that. I am very much the poor relation in our family!

BIL. He worked his way up and then it was a case of a lucky opportunity to buy the business he was MD of. He's made it a huge success through hard work.

SIL probably. She's worked very hard to build an amazing career from nothing, and now owns property on 3 continents too.
DB will probably overtake, his fiancee comes from money and has already inherited several hundred thousand. Unsure exactly much money she/they have.

A cousin of mine. No inherited wealth, quite the opposite. Worked during school and once graduated, worked every hour possible. Lived home and every penny was invested, not spent; no debt (paid for uni from money saved from work during school years and lived home); no holidays or extravagant purchases. Progressed quite quickly in a career. In late twenties offered and accepted an executive role and all snowballed from there. Made first million at 30 yrs old. By 40’s a multimillionaire.
still not flashy but treats themselves a bit more.

My late grandmother - completely self-made woman. Built an estate agency business from absolutely nothing making her a millionaire. She was extremely generous to her children and grandchildren as well. Amazing woman - a true matriarch.

From my living relatives - my little brother is the highest earner - senior at a tech giant.

My Grandmother.
Cash and asset rich but the meaniest person I know. Constantly pleads poverty, tone deaf to some of her close relatives who ARE in poverty.

Uncle. Retired now. Ran his own business.
No inherited wealth - father was a miner and left nothing.
Bit of an arse if I'm honest, but worked very hard for what he has.

Me.
According to my family (dsis's), I'm "sitting pretty"
Truth is, I was a single parent, had to learn the hard way how to make my very little money stretch, I've been in a position too many times where I've not been able to afford food for myself, I know what hungry feels like.
Never wanted to be in that position again.
I've worked hard, I've trained and have a good job in an industry that I've been in for nearly 30 yrs.
I don't waste money, I save, I've paid off my mortgage and I have a financial adviser (I'm not rich, just needed help with getting the best return)
I live like anyone else, can pay my bills, have a nice-ish car, dont have to worry about the cost of a holiday.
I also constantly bail my family out of their financial messes.
The reality is they've made some bad choices and continue to make them and think my good fortune is done to luck not my hard work