I’m a 29-year-old self-made millionaire… but I’d actually rather be poor

A YOUNG millionaire says being poor is ‘more fun’ than being rich, using his fortune just to fund fast WiFi, Diet Coke and a gym membership.

Cryptocurrency expert Ben Burns didn’t blink when he made his first million at the age of 25, and says he is “indifferent” to his fortune.

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The self-made entrepreneur believes money is a “made up concept” and spends almost all of his time staring at a computer screen to keep his fortunes afloat.

Now 29, he says: “Being rich isn’t as great as you think – I have money, but I spend 99% of my time in front of my laptop.

“I have a great social life, but my work does affect it and it involves a lot of stress.

“Being poor is actually more fun than being rich, because you appreciate experiences more.”

When Ben first amassed his vast fortune, he didn’t feel particularly excited. For him, the wins and losses are just part of the trading game.

His only pleasures come from good WiFi, Diet Coke, an extensive gym membership and a £40,000 gun collection.

And he has a very unusual daily routine.

“I wake up at noon every day and usually go to bed around 5 a.m. the next day, even on weekends,” he explains.

“I take about 30 vitamins and supplements a day, which costs me about $1,000 a month.

“I go to a luxury gym every day – which is very important for me to minimize my stress and costs $300 (£230) a month.

“And I also have a large gun collection, which I keep at my parents’ house.”

He said his job is “a lifestyle” that he has to be on top of 24/7.

Ben, from the US, first started experimenting with trading in high school – investing all his savings – but lost everything shortly afterwards.

Determined not to let that hold him back, he quickly jumped back into the game.

He studied computer science at university and then worked as a software engineer – choosing to receive his salary in Bitcoin.

Ben quickly saw a 200% return on his money.

He said: “My roommate, James, and I started trading seriously in college, writing strategies with code – which made us quite a bit of money.

“But the really big money started coming in when I joined Kraken.

“My parents are baby boomers, so they were against me trying something so risky, but they are happy with the outcome.”

But he says, “anyone who has millions knows that money is a made-up concept.”

“For example, if you’re partying, you can have a better night out drinking cheap beer at a dive bar than ordering bottle service and sitting in the VIP booth.

“People who do the latter are just trying to show off their money, instead of actually having fun.”

Although Ben claims the millions make little difference to his life, he also eschews the more traditional 9-5 lifestyle.

Ben said, “Capitalism is designed so that you can spend most of your life making money for someone else.

“Don’t follow the sheep, be the shepherd.”

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