5 Facts About Millionaires

Millionaires - Who Are They?

For those aspiring to join the ranks of the elite, it may be interesting to discover what sets apart the behavior and daily lives of these more than well-off individuals. Observations of the wealthy from various countries have revealed the following unexpected facts:

1) Education

The majority of millionaires didn't spend prolonged periods in universities. Surprisingly, many on the list of high-net-worth individuals didn't even complete high school. Need examples?

• Richard Branson (worth $5 billion), the founder of Virgin corporation, dropped out of school at 15.
• Mark Zuckerberg (personal fortune of $19 billion) left Harvard University at 20.
• Bill Gates (net worth of $66 billion) quit Harvard after his freshman year.

Statistics on millionaires show that many of them spent no more than 1-2 years in higher education.

2) Personal Life

Smart self-made millionaires prefer to marry once for life. Bill Gates is a notable example, having been married to Melinda French for 20 years, and so is the "king of horror" Stephen King. The writer, worth around $400 million, has been living with his wife, Tabitha Jane Spruce, since 1974 (for 40 years!).

The spouses of many millionaires also work. For instance, King's wife is also an author, Melinda Gates worked as a manager at Microsoft before becoming involved in charity work since 1996.

4) Spending Habits

Millionaires are not fans of extravagant spending. Those who have achieved financial independence prefer to live modestly in all aspects, from purchasing real estate (family homes) and cars to daily expenses.

For example, European millionaires opt for smaller homes for the sake of modesty and to save on maintenance costs.