My success has alienated me from my friends and family. I was raised poor, in a small town full of poor people in the South. But then I moved to a big city, and over the last 20 years, I’ve been busting my a** to improve my situation. About ten years ago, my hard work started paying off. Now I am in a position where I don’t have to work so hard, and I don’t have to worry about money so much. I own several properties, and I hire out the management of them, so literally I just sit here and collect about $10,000 in rental checks every month. My house is paid for, and I can invest a lot of that money into other properties. I am well on my way to having over $5 million in assets by the time I am 45.

I don’t think my wealth and success have changed my personality. I am still a nice guy. I don’t flaunt my wealth. But when I talk to my mother or friends, who still live in my small hometown, the things that they worry about seem trivial to me now.

For example, I asked my mother if she would like to come and visit for the holidays. She said she couldn’t afford the ticket. I was going to pay for it anyway. When I told her I would pay for it, she said she didn’t want to “put me out” like that. I laughed and told her the $300 round trip ticket wouldn’t be a problem, and I could tell she was embarrassed. Because for her, that is a lot of money.

And yes, I’ve offered her money before, but she refuses.

When I go back to my hometown, I try to take my old friends out for a meal and to catch up. But they usually can’t get away from their hourly jobs or can’t afford a babysitter just long enough to have a meal with me. And when I offer to pay for the meal and then some, they get embarrassed and sometimes angry. I’m like, “Damn. I’m just trying to spend some time with you. Sorry.”