Robert Read, a former (deceased) janitor from Brattleboro, Vermont, had a keen eye for picking out stocks. Known outwardly as a frugal and unassuming penny pincher, the local residents of Battleboro were shocked when news of his $8 million dollar fortune came to light. Indeed, his most expensive purchase was $5,000 for a Toyota, and he often wore the same worn-out clothing. You normally wouldn’t think of a janitor as having a fortune in the bank.
It was later learned that Read invested thousands of dollars in almost 100 stocks over the past 65 years, garnering a fortune for himself.
Read had also left a hefty legacy of $4.8 million dollars to the local library and a further $1.2 million donation to the local hospital. The rest of that money was left to his step-children and charitable organizations.
Even Read’s step-children were left in the dark as to how much money he was actually worth.
Although Read passed away at the age of 92 and left behind a wonderful legacy, is it worth keeping $8 million dollars a secret for that long?
Would it have been possible for Read to have enjoyed that money in his old age, spending it on travel, friends and family, while still having enough left over to donate to charity?
What would you have done with $8 million dollars?