Homeless Man Leaves Behind $4 Million

Here's an interesting story from NPR about a homeless man that died recently and left an estate of $4 million to friends and charities. In case it's not obvious, here's what stuck out to me:

• He was worth $4 million.

• He was homeless.

The piece ends by saying that what makes one person happy is not the same thing that makes another happy -- something I agree with 100%. But this guy's life seems so out-of-whack that it leaves me wondering what was really going on. Was he simply so miserly that he couldn't spend anything on himself? Was he trying to "earn his way to heaven/a better after-life"? (he was an atheist, so I don't think so.) Or maybe he just liked sleeping on the ground? The guy wasn't dumb -- he had saved, invested, done taxes, and had a will. Surely he could have afforded a modest home that would have barely impacted his nest egg and yet provided him with a much more comfortable lifestyle.

I just don't get it. Anyone with any insights on this one?

Comments

[Rich A.]

I've known a lot of homeless people over the years, having worked on the streets with a homeless crisis intervention ministry in Grand Rapids, MI.

Certainly, there are many who are drug/alcohol addicts. But a growing number have some kind of mental disability. And there's a wide spectrum of mental illness...some may seem quite "normal" in some situations, and clearly are not "normal" in others.

There are some who choose to live on the streets. Some do it because they're wanted by the police somewhere, and if they go into a shelter, and give their name, they might be found by the police.

Other times, shelters have strict rules which require you to be inside, and go to bed, at a certain time. And that cramps the style of some, rightly or wrongly.

Others choose to live on the streets because they're paranoid and don't trust other people. When I meet people like them, it doesn't take long for me to see that their "chooser" is broken.

I have met people like the fellow in the story. Some were bankers and stock brokers who had some kind of tragedy happen in their life which caused a nervous breakdown and deep depression, from which they never fully recovered.

[Eugene Krabs]

Wow, that is fascinating!

Wikipedia has some very interesting factoids on him:

* A marine of the Korean War.
* Graduated bachelors at Purdue University.
* Graduated masters at Ball State University.
* Honorary member of three engineering societies.
* Worked for Allied Signal Aerospace.
* Pushed into early retirement.
* No clear explanation why he chose to be homeless. (But clearly, that had to be a choice because he certainly had the means not to be.)
* Buried with full military honors.
* Atheist
* Was fairly anti-social.

The last point was deliberately left... last. Because I wonder if that's the explanation. That for whatever the reason, he was just never able to matriculate himself into society in general. Perhaps PTSD, perhaps paranoia of perhaps being hunted down or found or something.

I don't know.

Either way, this man is incredibly interesting. Thank you for sharing the story with us.

[Wildflower]

He was obviously mentally ill. It happens a lot.

[Lord]

Misers measure their self worth through hoarding. Parting with what they own, even for shelter, gives them a feeling of loss, while doing without gives them feelings of freedom, empowerment, and strength. He simply never wished for anything more than money. Money provides for itself, requires little in the way of attention, care, or maintenance, and demands little. From it, he derived security that it was there just in case. He found that more valuable than anything it could buy. Money became not the means to an end but an end in itself. Was this because he preferred it to people, or because he was substituting for his lack of success with people? A bit of both I would guess.

[kappy]

Schizophrenia

[Jim]

My first reaction was that he might have had some form of mental illness.

But maybe not. I recall a story of a guy who lived in a cave and decided to live without money. I didn't assume that guy was mentally ill. Some people make odd choices in their lives. So maybe this rich guy just decided to be homeless for some reason much like the guy who lives in a cave. Or .. maybe they're both mentally ill.

[mysticaltyger]

What ever happened to the use of the word "Who"?...as in "Here's a story about a homeless man WHO died..."

I see and hear the constant use of the word "that" as it refers to people and it really grates on me. The use of the word "that" makes people into inanmate objects!! AARRGH!

[e-Mom]

Sounds like a serious case of mental illness--so common among the elderly. Too bad he failed to receive appropriate medical care. May he rest in peace.

[Rob]

I had a neighbor whos house was falling apart, lived in complete filth yet bought and ate only organic products and helth food. You would never know he was healthy because he looked like a mess. He died and it was found he used to be an accountant and had no family. He used to check his financial statements and change accounts if he could get more interest. His house was roach invested and had a bare bulb in each room for lighting. The house was filled with many books and junk. It ended up he was worth a few million and had no will so the money went to the city. That part really got me because it would have been nice to have supported a charity or something as opposed to the city. Anyhow, he appeared mentally sharp to the end but yet there were still some things that were not right with him psychologically.

[Ginny]

I've known two extremely intelligent people--way above average--who chose to live in very poor circumstances, although both did have some form of shelter. One had no electricity, water, indoor plumbing, etc. I enjoyed knowing them, as their conversations were fascinating and profound. I'm a therapist in private practice--there were no signs of what is usually called "mental illness."

[Gone]

Wow -- I hope this happens to my weird old uncle living in the Sonora desert. Probably all they'll find when he goes are empty beer bottles and dead scorpions. Just my luck. Maybe I'll get his truck -- last I knew it was a 68 Ford...

[Dulcey]

Probably a libertarian who just wanted to be left alone.

[funny about Money]

Sounds like he was mentally ill. In our part of the country -- the Sonoran desert -- mental health care is even worse and even less accessible than "regular" health care. People who are too confused to care for themselves and have no family to care for them or whose illness makes them so obnoxious or dangerous that family members disown them end up sleeping on the street. Or in prison, contemporary America's answer to mental hospitals.

Its a fuzzy spectrum that runs from people who choose to live as anchorites and don't care about money or consumption to those who are too sick to take care of themselves. For a lot of people in the middle, it's hard to tell whether they're making a conscious, rational choice or whether they're in trouble.

[Paul]

Like others, my first thought was mental illness.

[FMF]

mysticaltyger --

Language changes. "That" is acceptable:

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/who-versus-that.aspx

[Sarah]

Some people never really make it home from the war.

[Brebre25]

Homeless Man Leaves Behind $4 Million
Here's an interesting story from NPR about a homeless man that died recently and left an estate of $4 million to friends and charities. In case it's not obvious, here's what stuck out to me:

He was worth $4 million.

He was homeless.

The piece ends by saying that what makes one person happy is not the same thing that makes another happy -- something I agree with 100%. But this guy's life seems so out-of-whack that it leaves me wondering what was really going on. Was he simply so miserly that he couldn't spend anything on himself? Was he trying to "earn his way to heaven/a better after-life"? (he was an atheist, so I don't think so.) Or maybe he just liked sleeping on the ground? The guy wasn't dumb -- he had saved, invested, done taxes, and had a will. Surely he could have afforded a modest home that would have barely impacted his nest egg and yet provided him with a much more comfortable lifestyle.

I just don't get it. Anyone with any insights on this one?

yall need to check dis out dis is so wierd