Veteran who worked as a janitor all his life was actually a millionaire — no one knew until his death

We don't see many people who, instead of chasing their selfish needs, prioritize others' well-being, right? But Ronald Read, an American philanthropist, investor, or the 'secret millionaire,' was anything but ordinary. Well, when Ronald, a former gas station employee and janitor, died in 2014 at 92 years old, people were shocked to know that he had donated $6 million to a local hospital and a library, TODAY reported.

Read came from a very humble background; in fact, he was the first in his family to even attend high school and serve in the military during World War II. Later, he became a janitor at JCPenney. Later, Read went on to marry Barbara March and became a stepdad to her two children, but until the very end, even his closest family didn't know about his wealth. Notably, after graduating from Brattleboro High School in 1940 and serving in the army, Read joined a gas station and worked there until 1979. Initially, he had retirement plans, but when that didn't happen, he took up a part-time janitor's job. Now, throughout his life, Read was just so cautious about spending money that he even skipped the tailor by using safety pins to hold his torn jacket together, the Independent reported. "I'm sure if he earned $50 in a week, he probably invested $40 of it," Mark Richards, Read's neighbor, was quoted.

Described as an extremely private person, driving a second-hand Toyota Yaris around the Vermont town of Brattleboro, Read never looked like someone who had assets worth $8 million, but when the news about his donation went public, Laurie Rowell, his estate attorney, didn't understand why people were so shocked. "Initially, he told me he had money, and I didn't really think so because of the way he was dressed. Never judge somebody across the table for what they look like," she said. Besides, Rowell also narrated how once someone actually offered to pay for Read's meal, looking at his appearance, dressing, to be specific. "The last time he came to see me, I walked him to his car because I was worried about his health, and, of course, he had parked far enough away that he didn't have to pay the [parking] meter," she added. 

Interestingly, Read was a pro-investor and knew how to transform his savings into a profitable amount by the time he died. "He did all his own investing. He had only a small account with Wells Fargo. His safe deposit box was filled with original stock certificates," Rowell revealed. Ellen Smith, a worker at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, met Read at the hospital's coffee shop, and that was the beginning of their friendship, she said. Every day, Read's order at the shop remained constant — a cup of coffee and an English muffin with peanut butter. "You would look at him, and you would never, ever, ever know [he was rich]," Smith shared with TODAY. Moreover, she said, although she is happy that Read is getting the much-deserved attention, she wishes he were alive to witness how his contribution will impact the community.