A Homeless Man Blows $100,000 of Free Money As Seen on Oprah

A Homeless Man is Given $100,000 by a Film Director and Blows it All Foolishly

By Psychic, published Dec 11, 2006
Published Content: 253  Total Views: 186,047  Favorited By: 10 CPs
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On a recent Oprah Winfrey show that aired on Friday December 1, 2006, a homeless guest on the show was given $100,000 by a film director. The film director gave him this money as a test to see how he would spend the money. The homeless man did not know that he was going to receive the money when he first got the $100,000. He was only told that he would be filmed as a documentary as to how a homeless man spends his days. It was about the day and life of a homeless person.

The man first found the briefcase with $100,000 in a garbage bin when he was looking for soda cans. This is how he made his money. The man was clearly broke and when he found the briefcase with the money in it, he could not believe it. He actually cried in shock. I was amazed to find out what the homeless man did with the money next.

The man first got himself an apartment and then he bought himself a $32,000 truck. He then bought his friends cars by taking them to a car dealership and having them purchase the car that they wanted. He kept on buying more more stuff and then he gave the money away. Was this a smart thing to do?

Shockingly the film maker also gave him the opportunity to use a financial advisor and counselor for free. The homeless man did not take him up on his offer. He instead spent all of the money on whatever he felt like spending his money on. Surprisingly the homeless man lost everything and he stated that he is back on the streets and homeless again. The sad truth here is that sometimes when you give money to someone, you hope that they would do the best with it. However, we can see clearly here from this example that it is not always true. Have you ever given something to someone and asked yourself if you should have maybe let them work for it instead? When you work for something, you tend to value it more because you knew what it took to make that kind of cash.

Homeless in America

Credit: Wikipedia

Copyright: Wikipedia

Takeaways
  • Instead of using the money for good things, the man just blew it.
  • Giving can bless you if you do it properly.
  • Giving someone money that obviously needs it, may not be the best thing for them.
Did You Know?
Instead of the homeless man setting himself up for a new future, he instead blew all of his money foolishly.
Resources
  • IMDb Resource
  • Psychic Readings
Comments
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How in the world would anybody be able to know how many children they capable of providing for? Markets change and fluctuate and money is here today and gone tomorrow. (Repsonse to Doug) I don't believe that this man wasted that money. He wasn't able to keep it true but he helped others in need until he ran out of money. If he had been thinking though he could have helped many more people in need. He could have used the money to purchase a ranch for example and enlisted other homeless people to work the land with him and live from off of it. I think most of us would have lost the money and returned to our "usual" station in life rather quickly. All of the people that win the lotto always end up bankrupt. You either understand money or you don't. People who understand money do so because they love it. People who don't understand money, maybe it's just not important to them. (Response to the article)

Posted on 05/02/2008 at 10:05:13 AM

 
Why in God's name would you have more children than you can afford to provide for? It bothers me that people bring children into this world and expect others to provide for them. I have two children of my own, and I struggle to provide clothes, education, medical care, and still manage to put back extra money for their future once they leave the nest. I love kids, but not to the point where I depend on the government to take money from others and give it to me.

Posted on 04/06/2008 at 10:04:27 AM

 
Fatal Assumptive Flaw. We suggest: Unless you do the experiment 'TWICE' you have no comparative analysis to draw from. The first time any person comes into WEALTH of any kind you will tend to mismanage it. However, what you BLOW the first time more times than not won't happen twice. Once a person gets past the Positive & Negative reactions of others and the reality of how fast you can zero out--- WISDOM happens. Wisdom simply means- APPLIED KNOWLEDGE. The real test is... once a person knows the very real pit falls how would they handle a second chance at a mind blowing GIFT/BLESSING. EXAMPLE: Will Smith, prior to the days of 'I AM LEGND,' 'iRobot,' Independence Day...etc., right around the time of his early Rappin' success (Rappin,' just before The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 1990's) -he Blew his first million(s) and when he got a second chance... Well, let's just say, his banker is proud to shake his hand. The Second Time around proves and reveals more than any FIRST '

Posted on 01/12/2008 at 12:01:33 AM

 
Try giving this experiment to others that once had a little, and due to lumps in lifes road now have nothing. A couple in JC, NJ had a restaurant (Sweet Spirit Bakers & More) now are living with friends after losing their apartment and business. I'm sure if this man got a chance to relive this offer he would in deed accept the advise and help others could provide

Posted on 12/12/2007 at 12:12:53 PM

 
Here is the right way for him: $10K used single wide mobile home near his family. $10K Lot for year, utilities, registrations,taxes $10K nice used truck he would have liked $5K decent furniture of his choice MOST OF ALL $20, small building on small lot for his own recycling business, could even employ homeless guy for morning shift so fellow could recover from hangovers. $5 at best for teath (dentures?) $5 Clothes, gas, ciggs, food, comodities, supplies, 'alcohol' yard, BBQ. $10 invest with free investment counsellor $5 charity with a home, a business, a year of bills paid, teath fixed, food... he would still have 20K left to blow on beer and women! Please send me 100K, I am a basically a single mom with 3 kids at home, 2 disabled, so accept for being a maid I have to care for them. My car was wrecked last year, have no car. My cable is getting ready to be shut off so my email won't be on long. I am so far behind on my bills and I don't have credit cards. I love my kid

Posted on 09/15/2007 at 10:09:00 AM

 
I just saw this post and I am literally in shock at most of the comments. The majority of homeless people have a serious untreated metal illness. They usually turn to drugs and alcohol to mask the problem. I know this first hand as I have housed homeless people before, just as I have housed abused children. They do not need our judgement but funding to provide homes, medical and eduaction. This is not an easy task and it will not happen over night. Each homeless person needs a strong mentor to guide them. Just as the children need our guidence. Would we give up on them? I can state that I have had great sucess in brining the homeless people I have helped back into society as working productive citizens. They don't need large amounts of money at one time. They need us and someone to manage thier money until they learn the skills to do so for themselves. Sometimes they should never manage thier own money, but we should applaud them for the positive steps they are making. No I have neve

Posted on 09/11/2007 at 12:09:00 PM

 
yea homelessness is mostly yea the person's fault but like there are other reasons as well such as being taken over by other countries and tribes and stuff... Humans are naturally made for a certain amount of laziness? Physical work was meant for us more because we used to be hunters and gatherers? Nature is gone it makes life harder... Also people need to eat right ...maby we would be smarter if we ate right..

Posted on 08/24/2007 at 12:08:00 AM

 
LOL I CAN'T BELIEVE I POSTED THAT !

Posted on 08/24/2007 at 12:08:00 AM

 
If you really wanna get religious about it the truth is that everyone who is not poor including myself is going to hell it doesn't matter what you try to do to stop it. LISTEN EVERYONE !!! I FIGURED SOMETHING OUT !!! I'M SURE NOBODY ELSE HAS NOTICED!!! SINCE WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND YOU CAN MANIPULATE REALITY AND IT CAN MANIPULATE YOU DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU ARE AROUND BY CIRCUMSTANCE AND PUT YOURSELF AROUND!!! IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH YOU GIVE IN LIFE!!! IT MATTERS HOW MANY TIMES YOU DISS SOMEONE OR HOW MUCH MORE OFTEN YOU ARE IN A HIGHER POSITION !!! IT'S WHY THERE IS A SWITCH IN POSITION WHEN THE AFTERLIFE COMES!!! SO EVERYONE HAS TO BE REDICULOUS AND GIVE AWAY ALL THEIR THINGS TO THE POOR LIKE IT SAYS IN THE BIBLE (RETARDS WE ARE ALL DOOMED! INCLUDING ME!! ONLY THE POOR ONES WHO DON'T KILL ARE GOING TO HEAVEN)

Posted on 08/24/2007 at 12:08:00 AM

 
interesting story but this article looks like it was written by a twelve year-old

Posted on 08/09/2007 at 8:08:00 PM

 
This is why I don't support welfare programs.

Posted on 06/01/2007 at 1:06:00 PM

 
As I pray for everyone whos heart has reach out to my family and I, I also pray for your to be blessed with whatever your needs are. If you would like to email me please do so at iyoni@aol.com Blessings!!

Posted on 04/16/2007 at 1:04:00 AM

 
I'm a mother of 8 children. My husband & I have been homeless 3times in the last 3 years. We've had 2 of our children to die. We have slep on the lake front of Chicago, Illinois in our van. And ate sandwiches out of Jewel/Osco grocery stores everyday just to keep fed. During that time we had so many people look down on us because of our being homeless. But, the reason for our being homeless was due to us not making enough money to afford the apartment size we needed. So even though we are clean, well educated, responsible, respectful, Godly individuals, that teach our children correctly, we still got rejected because of the guidelines of HUD. We had crooks to give us a place to stay only to take all our money, then the next day, put us out on the street again with our children. I don't think anyone should judge why that young man did what he did. In life, everyone have a desire for something. Most of you fill it. Others can't for some reason or another. After living in a world where ev

Posted on 04/16/2007 at 1:04:00 AM

 
It takes being in the mainstream financial culture to really understand that 100K isnt THAT much money. And why is it suprising that someone who has been living without any comforts or pleasures or sustained intimate contact would focus their efforts on getting comfortable and desperatley trying to connect intimatley to another human being. Of course he wasted the money on things that mainstream culture would never waste money on if they were in his position, but THAt is the issue. Homelessness is a social problem, not just an economic problem. People on the fringes of society often have reasons for staying there-- the mechanism that allows one to fully integrate into a society or community is malfunctioning. Sometimes because of drugs or alcohol, and sometimes because of severe emotional and mental disorders. I do question the ethics of this documentary, and I do feel that the man was exploited (and set up to fail), but wow, what an important look into the real problems of homel

Posted on 04/03/2007 at 8:04:00 AM

 
Just because you ask someone's permission doesn't mean whatever you do to them is ethical. Does a person who lives on $20 a day have the ability to turn down an offer for 100k to be filmed (and questionably exploited)? Not really. Its not something he really could have said no to, so, the offer, in and of itself, is an exploit. I thought this movie was fascinating and really showed that the problems of homelessness and devastating poverty go way beyond just a simple monetary fix. But I am appalled at the lack of compassion of this article towards this homeless man. Why would we expect someone who has been removed from society for 20 some years to re-enter society in a functional way. If you have been living on 20 bucks a day, 100K probably seems like a million dollars to you. It takes being in the mainstream financial culture to really understand that 100K isnt THAT much money. And why is it suprising that someone who has been living without any comforts or pleasures or sust

Posted on 04/03/2007 at 8:04:00 AM

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