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Fabulously Rich People That Still Live in Modest Homes

Warren Buffett Home

Fabulously Rich People That Still Live in Modest Homes

For better or worse, we typically tend to judge the fabulously rich among us. We believe, sometimes without any evidence, that they live in a world full of glitz and glamor. In some cases, the reality is quite different. 

Warren Buffet, for example, famously still lives in the same house in Nebraska he purchased back in 1958. Buffet isn’t alone either as he is just one example of other people with incredible wealth who live a similarly modest lifestyle. 

Carlos Slim

Carlos Slim
One of the wealthiest men in the world, Carlos Slim still lives modestly.
©ITU Pictures / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license - Original / License

The richest person in Mexico and one-time richest person in the world, Carlos Slim has lived in the same house for over 40 years. As the owner of America Movil, the largest phone operator in Latin America, Slim can live just about anywhere he wants. Despite having other homes around the world, Slim has lived in the same six-bedroom understated house in Mexico City for decades.

Amancio Ortega

Zara Store
For the owner of Zara clothing, living modestly is the only way to live.
©EEJCC / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license - Original / License

Despite his incredible wealth as the owner of the clothing brand Zara, Amancio Ortega lives rather modestly. A notoriously private man, Ortega is rarely seen in public. Despite his billions, Ortega and his wife, Flora, live in a very modest 2-bedroom apartment in La Coruna, Spain.

Tim Cook

Tim Cook
Tim Cook notoriously lives a modest life considering his net worth.
©Austin Community College / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license - Original / License

As the CEO of Apple, the world’s most profitable company, Tim Cook can afford to go just about anywhere. Instead, he opts for a more modest home in Palo Alto, California. Purchasing a 2,400-square-foot home for $1.9 million might seem more than modest, but considering his $1.5 billion net worth, it’s quite modest indeed.

Chuck Feeney

Before giving away his billion-dollar fortune, Chuck Feeney lived a very normal life.
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In one of the greatest philanthropy stories of modern times, Chuck Feeney gave away everything. Well, almost everything. At its peak, his net worth as the co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers Group was $8 billion. Giving away his fortune in secret before his death, Feeney and his wife lived off his last $2 million in a two-bedroom apartment.

George Kaiser

Tulsa Oklahoma Downtown Skyline Neighborhood Buildings Trees Aerial View 10
Even with a multi-billion dollar net worth, George Kaiser doesn’t live fancy.
©Tait Hove Photography/Shutterstock.com

As the chairman of BOK Financial Corporation in Tusla, Oklahoma, George Kaiser can live anywhere he wants. With an estimated net worth of $14.5 billion, Kaiser’s oil money enables many of life’s best luxuries. Instead, Kaiser owns no yachts or planes and lives in a modest home in Tulsa without any signature billionaire trappings.

Warren Buffet

One of the wealthiest men in the world, Warren Buffet has lived in the same house since 1958.
©mark reinstein/Shutterstock.com

Few people can say they have been as successful or as prominent as Warren Buffet. The “Oracle of Omaha” consistently ranks among the wealthiest people in the world. A net worth of $131.2 billion allows Buffet to live anywhere in any home, but he still lives in the same home he bought in 1958 for $31,500.

Mark Zuckerberg

Even with his immense wealth, Mark Zuckerberg lives in a normal lifestyle.
©Frederic Legrand - COMEO/Shutterstock.com

There are a good many people who will scoff at the idea of a $7.8 million home being labeled as modest but it is decidedly normal. For someone with a net worth north of $170 billion, the home is very “normal” with a small backyard and an intimate pool.

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds
One of the world’s most popular actors, Ryan Reynolds lives a quiet and normal life.
©Gage Skidmore / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license - Original / License

Along with his wife Blake Lively, actor Ryan Reynolds has traded in the trappings of Hollywood for a more modest lifestyle. In May 2013, the couple purchased a home in upstate New York for $5.7 million, a fraction of the couple’s net worth. Estimated to be worth over $350 million on his own, the home ranks as modest for the couple.

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell
Dubbed American’s sweetheart, Kristen Bell lives a very normal lifestyle.
©Gage Skidmore / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license - Original / License

Another massively successful actor, Kristen Bell, and her husband live a rather modest life. While $4.3 million might scream fancy, home images look cozy, comfortable, and very understated. Bell is famous for her discount shopping and frequently highlighted her use of Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons.

Elon Musk

Formally The world’s wealthiest person, Elon Musk gave up all but one of his homes.
©Frederic Legrand - COMEO/Shutterstock.com

As one of the wealthiest people in the world, Elon Musk can choose to live anywhere. Instead, he has sold all of his previous homes and lives inside a $50,000 home. Musk also owns a home in Boca Chica, Texas, but it’s a small two-bedroom home set near a SpaceX launch site.

Ingvar Kamprad

Ingvar Kamprad
Prior to his death, Ingvar Kamprad lived a very frugal lifestyle.

Before he died in 2018, Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad was famous for his frugality. Even with a net worth of over $58 billion, Kamprad lived in a modest house, flew coach, and purchased clothes from flea markets.

Ike Perlmutter

Ike Perlmutter
The former head of Marvel Studios, Ike Perlmutter doesn’t live a flashy life.
©Hyva 007 / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license - Original / License

As the former head of Marvel, Ike Perlmutter knows a thing or two about living like Tony Stark. However, Perlmutter doesn’t spend his money like other billionaires. Instead, he opted for a more modest townhouse in Palm Beach, Florida. While $10 million is a lot for the 4,500-square-foot residence, it’s only a fraction of what the homes around him cost.

Jason Segel

Jason Segel
Jason Segel left Hollywood’s busy life to live in a small home on an orange farm.
©Eva Rinaldi / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license - Original / License

After appearing on How I Met Your Mother for years, actor Jason Segel needed a break. This break turned into living life in a modest home on an orange farm. With a reported $50 million net worth, Segel could be living large but wanted a small town life in a mere 1,926 square foot home.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves could live anywhere but chose a modest and not-at-all-flashy home.
©Governo do Estado de São Paulo / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license - Original / License

One of the nicest actors in all of Hollywood, Keanu Reeves is famous for his down-to-earth lifestyle. A frequent subway rider, Reeves owns a Hollywood Hills home worth $8 million. For someone with a reported net worth of $380 million, it’s a small price to pay for a modest lifestyle with sunshine (almost) all year long.

Tony Hsieh

Tony Hsieh
Before his death, Tony Hsieh famously gave up his large home to live in a trailer park.
©JD Lasica / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license - Original / License

The former Zappos CEO died in 2020 at 46 but was the poster child for living frugally. Despite his net worth in the hundreds of millions, Hsieh’s passion was to revitalize downtown Las Vegas. As a result, Hsieh bought space in a trailer park and lived there until his passing.

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