Let’s face it. Billionaires fascinate most of us, especially when it comes to their spending habits and neverending piles of cash. Take, for instance, the very well to do Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder. He is Forbes Magazine’s second-wealthiest real-time billionaire on the planet. His estimated worth is around $113 billion.
Gates would even be worth more today if he had not opened up his wallet, so to speak, and given $35.8 billion, and counting, to charity over his lifetime.
Still, with that hunk of security he’s amassed, you would imagine that Bill Gates must carry a nice wad of cash with him in his wallet on a daily basis, right?
Well, you would be wrong. According to folks who have either interviewed or met Gates, you would be lucky to find the billionaire with cash on him let alone a wallet. It seems like the high-tech genius rarely carries either. At least, that is what the rich businessman says when he is frequently asked how he packs his wallet.
One time, however, Bill Gates did reveal a bit more information. Gates had appeared on Reddit, the American social news and discussion website, where he had agreed to an AMA or Ask Me Anything session online.
Of course, the question came to light, and when asked how much the multi-billionaire carried in his wallet every day, he responded that he had a single $100 bill in his pocket.
Gates was also asked during AMA how he has fun and chills out. He answered by saying, “I love playing tennis. I am an avid bridge player (a card game if you have not heard of it – it was more popular in the past!)… I read a lot and watch courses (online or the Learning Company).”
Another famous billionaire, Elon Musk, is worth about $31.6 billion and perhaps, best known for his company Tesla, the American electric vehicle and clean energy company based in Palo Alto, California.
Musk carries a wallet but seems to follow the Bill Gates theory of cash on hand. Musk was also asked in an interview how much he had with him.
At the time, he answered, “About $40.”
That’s not all. Investor Warren Buffett, the fourth-wealthiest person on the planet at $88.9 billion, likes to carry some dollar bills in his wallet but also plenty of change.
That’s right. Buffet eats breakfast out daily and always pays with the exact amount of change. In an interview, he revealed that he stops by McDonald’s and orders one of three items. He places either $2.61, $2.95 or $3.17 in a cup that he keeps by him in the car.
There you have it. Bill Gates and his billionaire buddies understand the value of a dollar, and their wallets don’t tell the story.