British Millionaire Gives All of it Away

***CaptHayfever*** · 02-11-2010, 02:09 AM

Money Can't Buy Happiness, So Man Gives Away Every Penny of His £3 Million Fortune - Neatorama

Quote:

Money Can't Buy Happiness, So Man Gives Away Every Penny of His £3 Million Fortune
By Alex in Money & Finance on Feb 10, 2010 at 2:05 am

Karl Rabeder grew up poor and thought that life would be wonderful if he had money. But when he got rich, Karl discovered that he was unhappy … so he decided to give away every penny of his £3 million fortune:

"My idea is to have nothing left. Absolutely nothing," he told The Daily Telegraph. "Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come."

Instead, he will move out of his luxury Alpine retreat into a small wooden hut in the mountains or a simple bedsit in Innsbruck.

His entire proceeds are going to charities he set up in Central and Latin America, but he will not even take a salary from these.

"For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness," he said. "I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years," said Mr Rabeder.

But over time, he had another, conflicting feeling.

"More and more I heard the words: ‘Stop what you are doing now – all this luxury and consumerism – and start your real life’," he said. "I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things that I did not wish for or need. I have the feeling that there are lot of people doing the same thing."

What do you think? Is he doing the right thing or is this just a crazy idea of a rich man?

One of the commenters thinks he might be doing it to dodge a tax bill, though I can't imagine how that plan works unless the UK has a tax bracket over 100%.

And remember, "I'm-a Luigi, number one!"

ZeldaGirl · 02-11-2010, 02:13 AM

Actually, he's Austrian.

But still an incredible story nonetheless.

***Ace Mercury*** · 02-11-2010, 09:15 AM

I'd like to chime in and say that poverty also does not buy happiness.

Anyways, relationships with other people are usually worth more. I read somewhere (possibly in a dream, because I can't find any trace of it on the interwebs) that a good friend is worth several tens of thousands of dollars. Maybe a few hundred thousand. I can't remember.

I REALLY HATE POKEMON! · 02-11-2010, 02:51 PM

Where am I when the crazies are handing out the dough.

***Ace Mercury*** · 02-11-2010, 03:55 PM

Sitting under a roof, with a belly full of food, enjoying a first-world education, reading the sum knowledge of mankind on the Internet?

I REALLY HATE POKEMON! · 02-11-2010, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace Mercury

Sitting under a roof, with a belly full of food, enjoying a first-world education, reading the sum knowledge of mankind on the Internet?

I'll tell you where I'm sitting; not where the free millions come to, that's where I'm sitting.

t3hDarkness · 02-11-2010, 04:05 PM

Read that line again, sir. . .

I REALLY HATE POKEMON! · 02-11-2010, 04:08 PM

^ Which one? Mine?

02-11-2010, 02:13 AM	#2
ZeldaGirl Awesome member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Why do YOU want to know...? Gender: Posts: 15,877 Thanks: 1,121 Thanked 1,902 Times in 1,040 Posts	Actually, he's Austrian. But still an incredible story nonetheless.

02-11-2010, 09:15 AM	#3
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 22,960 Thanks: 558 Thanked 3,205 Times in 1,531 Posts Blog Entries: 1	I'd like to chime in and say that poverty also does not buy happiness. Anyways, relationships with other people are usually worth more. I read somewhere (possibly in a dream, because I can't find any trace of it on the interwebs) that a good friend is worth several tens of thousands of dollars. Maybe a few hundred thousand. I can't remember.

02-11-2010, 02:51 PM	#4
I REALLY HATE POKEMON! Goku lives on the Sun Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: California, U.S.A Gender: Posts: 12,543 Thanks: 1,247 Thanked 263 Times in 222 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Where am I when the crazies are handing out the dough.

02-11-2010, 03:55 PM	#5
*Ace Mercury* Marshmallow Knight ☆ Supermod Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Southern Ontario Gender: Posts: 22,960 Thanks: 558 Thanked 3,205 Times in 1,531 Posts Blog Entries: 1	Sitting under a roof, with a belly full of food, enjoying a first-world education, reading the sum knowledge of mankind on the Internet?

02-11-2010, 04:05 PM	#7
t3hDarkness Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: I weep oily black tears of joy. Gender: Posts: 7,590 Thanks: 119 Thanked 418 Times in 306 Posts Blog Entries: 5	Read that line again, sir. . .

02-11-2010, 04:08 PM	#8
I REALLY HATE POKEMON! Goku lives on the Sun Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: California, U.S.A Gender: Posts: 12,543 Thanks: 1,247 Thanked 263 Times in 222 Posts Blog Entries: 1	^ Which one? Mine?