Imagine you woke up one day to find out that
you’re a multi-millionaire. What’s the first thing you’d do? Maybe buy your dream house? Or a superfast car? Oh, I know…possibly a yacht? But you see, not everyone has the same impulses. One janitor managed to prove everyone wrong
with his intelligence and investments. By the time he was 92 years old, he was worth
8 million, and he’d achieved it all by himself. His story, however, is rather unusual. We usually think that people with less money
dream of the luxurious lifestyle that we see on social media. The big house, the massive pools, the multiple
garages filled with race cars, and the endless vacations. But some people are satisfied with what they
have, and manage to go through life with contentment. Before I continue, I got a question for you. If you were a millionaire, what would you
do with the money you have? Would you donate any? Let me know down in the comments. Now, back to the story. Ronald Reads was born on October 23rd, 1921. He grew up with his family in a tiny house
in Vermont, where they ran a farm. As a kid, Ronald loved school. He used to walk approximately 4 miles every
day to his high school in Brattleboro. He made that same journey every day of the
week until he graduated. In fact, in 1940, he became the first person
in his family to receive a high-school diploma, which was huge back in the day. After that, he joined the army for 5 years,
but by 1945 he was back in Brattleboro, ready to continue his life. Upon his return to his home town, he got right
to work as a gas station attendant at Haviland's Service Station. He worked at the same gas station for the
next 34 years. Around 1979, when he was about 58 years old,
it was time to retire. But he didn’t have it in him. He was too eager to keep working and stay
busy. You know what they say, “Another day, another
Dollar”. So, when his time as a gas station attendant
was over, he got a part-time job as a janitor at the local department store. There, he worked another 17 years. But, you see, our friend Ronald had a secret. Not only was he a quiet worker, he was a quiet
investor. So, at what point did Ronald became a secret
millionaire? How did he know where to invest without failing? I’ll get into that in a gif. First, let’s look into his life-style and
work ethic. Let’s face it folks, figuring out how to
invest in the stock market requires a LOT of research. Ronald was a private guy. He used to love chopping wood and driving
his second-hand Toyota Yaris around town. He also loved collecting stamps and coins. He’s what you’d describe as a very modest
individual. In fact, most people who were interviewed
from his town said that Mr. Read didn’t strike anyone as a guy with a ton of money. All the local residents were shocked when
they found out his worth. His lawyer, however, had some insight into
his situation. The reason why nobody believed this man was
rich was because of the way he dressed and handled money. When Ronald approached his lawyer later on
in his life, she assumed that he didn’t have much money. He was wearing a somewhat worn-out coat, a
regular flannel shirt, and an old baseball hat. He was married to the love of his life, whom
he’d met while working at the gas station. Her and her two children moved in to a house
Ronald bought for $12,000 dollars. They never had any children of their own,
but Ronald loved his step children as if they were his own. He helped them get through college and paid
for their education, since it was something he believed in strongly. Ronald also had a great relationship with
the people he worked with. Because of his appearance, some of his colleagues
assumed that he needed financial help. However, when they tried to offer it to him,
he politely declined. Ronald was simply a frugal sort of person. Even at an older age, around 90, he preferred
to park far away from his destination and walk, rather than pay for parking. But three things earned him a lot of respect:
He was easy to work with, he was down-to-earth, and most importantly, he had a great sense
of humor. One of the things he loved doing on a daily
basis was to visit the cafeteria of the local Memorial Hospital. He’d go in every single morning and order
a cup of coffee and an English muffin with peanut butter. He’d always sit in the same spot, drink
his coffee, pay for the meal, and then head back to the road. He wore an old winter coat that was held together
with safety pins so that it could stay closed. Unfortunately, the Hospital Cafeteria was
shut down a few years later and Ronald sought out a new coffee stop. That’s when he discovered Friendly’s,
and started having his breakfast there. Coincidentally, the local hospital’s development
director was a regular customer at that diner, and he advised Ronald to pay a visit to the
nearby Library. When Ronald heard about it, his eyes sparkled. He got his library card and started borrowing
piles of books every week, studying them with enthusiasm. In fact, he fell in love with a very particular
newspaper: The Wall Street Journal. Ronald loved going to the library, so he’d
always drive there, or ask one of his step-children to take him. He’d spend hours and hours studying about
the stock market and investments, until he was able to tell which companies were worth
putting his money into. But here’s how he secretly made his fortune. He was a true wizard at picking stocks and
studying the stock market. He started small, until his safe deposit box
was becoming an ever-growing mass of stock certificates. He divided his money into categories, and
then he’d invest less money in multiple companies, rather than more money in less
companies. This kept his money safe; if something went
wrong, it wouldn’t be too devastating because the amount he’d lose would be insignificant. He began his investments a few years after
he started working as a gas station assistant, and he held on to several blue-chip companies
for quite a while. That’s what helped his money multiply. He also invested in companies that paid substantial
dividends, or bonuses, in layman’s terms. Therefore, he could use that money to buy
more stocks. Ronald wasn’t a tech-savvy kind of guy. So, his focusc remained on companies he read
about in the library books he used to borrow. When he passed away, he had more than 95 stocks
spread around different industries, such as: telecommunications, healthcare, consumer goods,
railway transport and public utilities. Nobody in his family knew how much money he
had, or how much he was worth. They assumed that the money he was making
as a janitor was barely enough for him to get by. As he grew older, his health began to deteriorate,
and he was hospitalized at the same hospital where he used to have his daily breakfast. That was when he hired the lawyer to help
him with his estate. He gave approximately $2 million dollars to
his two stepchildren and some friends. He donated $4.8 million dollars to the Brattleboro
Memorial Hospital, and he also donated $1.2 million dollars to the library he used to
study at. Roland wanted to remain in the shadows, but
at the same time he wished to be known for his work and deeds. Once, he had a conversation with a buddy of
his, and he told him “Wouldn’t it be nice If I had my name up on a building?” but
right after, he’d regretted it and said “no,no,no” and shook his head. One of the most important things he did was
give back to the community and people he’d spent his life with. The hospital, where he had his breakfast. The library, where his studied about the stock
market, and his family, who he loved. Bottom Line: Ronald was a rich man, in more
ways than just money. Hey, if you learned something new today, then
give the video a like and share it with a friend! And here are some other cool videos I think
you'll enjoy. Just click to the left or right, and stay
on the Bright Side of life!
