Who do you think was the stingiest millionaire in history?

[Shola joshua]

Forget the billionaires who cut coupons or the celebrities who bargain-shop. The real crown for frugality belongs to two eccentric brothers: Maurice and Harold King.

These two weren’t just careful with money — they lived like paupers while sitting on a fortune. Born and raised on a dusty ranch, they spent their entire lives in a shack without running water or electricity. Imagine that — millions in the bank, but still fetching water like it was the 1800s.

Their wealth wasn’t inherited; they earned it. Without formal schooling, Harold and Maurice taught themselves everything — from carpentry and farming to buying and selling land. Every penny they made was carefully tucked away. Over decades, that grew into land holdings worth over $6 million.

And yet… they refused to spend it. No fancy cars. No luxurious homes. No grand vacations. Just the same shack they grew up in, the same simple food, and the same rugged lifestyle until the day they died.

To outsiders, they looked insane. Neighbors whispered that they were “crazy” for hoarding money and living in misery. But maybe — just maybe — they were living exactly the way they wanted.

See, the King brothers weren’t chasing pleasure or appearances. They found satisfaction in accumulation itself. To them, the growing pile of wealth was more thrilling than any mansion or diamond ring. They embodied the paradox of extreme frugality: rich enough to buy comfort, yet choosing discomfort instead.

When they died, they left behind a massive untouched fortune. They never used it. They never flaunted it. They simply… kept it.

So, were Harold and Maurice King tragic figures wasting their wealth? Or were they wise men who saw through society’s obsession with luxury?

Whatever you think, one thing’s certain: they weren’t just millionaires. They were legends of frugality.

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