When Money Isn't Everything: The Most Modest Billionaires

It’s a good thing Forbes publishes lists of the richest people in the world! Otherwise, we would never know about the most modest billionaires because they are incredibly unassuming and inconspicuous. Seriously, if you met one of these people on the street, you’d hardly ever think that you were in the presence of one of the wealthiest individuals on Earth or perhaps even the president of a country.

So, let’s stop picturing the wealthiest individuals in our imagination as carefree people living in luxurious mansions and indulging in extravagance. Sometimes, it’s just not the case. AdmiGram.com will tell you about billionaires for whom money is not the main thing. They are incredibly dedicated to their work, and their primary passion is deriving satisfaction from professional achievements.

When Money Isn’t Everything: The Most Modest Billionaires

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg is the brightest star and the epitome of the millennial generation. However, despite his contributions to society and amassed billions, he continues to live a simple, measured life. His everyday attire consists of a hoodie and flip-flops, and his favorite car is an old Acura. Together with his wife, he engages in philanthropy.

Joanne Kathleen Rowling

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Joanne Rowling! Thank you for raising an entire generation on your books. If there is a real ‘Cinderella’ story in the world, it’s your life. Joanne went from living on social welfare to becoming the richest woman in the world. But that doesn’t stop her from staying in the shadow of her fame.

Warren Edward Buffett

Warren Buffett is a true giant of the financial markets, the richest investor, the great ‘Oracle of Omaha,’ and a constant resident in the top 5 richest people in the world. However, that doesn’t stop him from living in a $30,000 house and driving an old Cadillac. Moreover, Warren Buffett has donated over $100 billion to charitable causes.

Keanu Charles Reeves

Can you name any other celebrity who wears worn-out jeans, has lunch at a fast-food joint, or gives up their seat to an ordinary woman on the subway? Our ‘saddest knight’ and the brightest star of the millennium’s screens still lives in rented houses and hotels, preferring a simple life. Keanu has donated half of his fortune to charity.

Sergey Mikhailovich Brin

The way Sergey Brin, the legendary co-founder of Google, lives in his home country would probably raise eyebrows because showing off wealth is the norm there. If his distant compatriots saw him on the subway with a plastic bag in hand, they would most likely mistake him for a homeless person, not a billionaire.

Feodor Ingvar Kamprad

Grandpa Ingvar, without your vision of coziness and your blue shark, our world would never be the same as we’ve come to know it. For most of us, it’s even hard to imagine how you managed to found IKEA at the age of 17 and, after achieving success, lead such a humble life by dining at regular restaurants and flying economy class. $36 billion is Ingvar Kamprad’s contribution to philanthropy.

Amancio Ortega Gaona

The founder of the trendy ZARA clothing store chain always opts for simple and unpretentious attire. Despite having a fortune of nearly $80 billion, he still lives in a regular apartment and dines with employees in ordinary cafeterias. He has never had his own office, computer, or even a desk. He keeps a very low profile.

Jose Alberto Mujica Cordano

Jose Alberto Mujica Cordano is known as the ‘poorest president in the world.’ Instead of amassing wealth while in office as the President of Uruguay, he lived on a small farm and drove a car from 1987. In his free time, he and his wife tended to their flowers. He donated his entire presidential salary to charity.

Carlos Slim Helu

Carlos Slim Helu owns the largest communication industry conglomerate in Latin America. Outside of business, he lives in a home he purchased long ago and avoids extravagant events. Instead, he prefers spending time with his children and grandchildren and is one of the world’s largest philanthropists.

Charles Francis Feeney

Concluding our selection is possibly the most modest and generous billionaire alive today. This businessman and philanthropist, who created the worldwide chain of Duty Free Shoppers stores, donated all his income to charity. His identity became public knowledge only after a legal dispute revealed it.

image on top: Thomas Hawk / Flickr