People Whose Partners Became Extremely Wealthy Share the Impact — Mind-Blown

The Impact of Sudden Wealth on Relationships

When one partner suddenly starts making serious money, it can shake or strengthen the entire relationship. Sometimes it brings a breakup. Other times, it deepens the bond. Here are some real-life stories from people who have experienced what happens when one person in a relationship becomes significantly wealthier.

Stories of Change and Growth

1. "My wife and I have been together since we were broke college students. I make good money, but she makes $350,000. Nothing has changed in our relationship since she started making this kind of money three years ago."

2. "It can work even when one makes a lot more than the other. I make okay money (under $70,000 a year), but my wife clears $300,000 before bonuses or stock. Our marriage works just fine, but that's because we are both on the same page regarding money and have the same goals."

3. "We went from making very little money to him making half a million dollars annually. He began to resent me for still being in graduate school, and this continued into me building my career. I would say money made him mean. We divorced a couple of years later."

4. "My husband and I started dating in high school. We both came from poor families and had no money. Our dates consisted of a lot of walking and meeting in public places because we didn't have a car and couldn't afford restaurants. He got a full scholarship to a private university, and I went to a cheaper public university. He graduated first and started making good money. He helped me pay for college and started to buy me nice things. We got engaged, then I graduated, and we started saving for our wedding. We saved for a house. We had a kid. Money did not change him. He is still frugal and scolds me when I spend too much, but he takes good care of us."

5. "My dad's wife got rich when she was with her ex-husband. She already had a successful career herself, but her brother sold his share of a big company and became nearly a billionaire. The whole family then got rich because he's a generous guy. Her ex-husband did not take it well. It hurt his masculinity, and he became an alcoholic. The family tried to help him, but he was a lost cause, so they divorced. He died last year."

6. "Nothing really changed in our relationship. The extra money absolutely made our lives easier and helped remove most stressful things from our lives. I cannot imagine having to deal with some of the things we'd have to deal with without money. I met my wife in undergrad and have been with her ever since. She is now a professor of plastic surgery at a university."

7. "For what it's worth, while not rich, I have earned a lot more in recent years. My answer is: money solves problems. There's less stress and worry about things. If your car has issues, you can drop it off and let someone sort it out, and then pay when they're done. Got a parking ticket? Pay and move on. Need new shoes and clothes because you wore some out? Overnight them on Amazon. Money solves all of those things, and you don't even have to worry about them. Sure, it also provides luxuries, but I am purely talking about the basics of life that tend to cause stress."

8. "In grad school, my partner and I were both teaching part-time. We did not have a lot of extra money to throw around. One day, he started a tutoring company as a passion project with some grad school friends, and it ended up becoming quite successful. It wasn't a billion-dollar venture, but he did become a millionaire through it. And yes, he broke up with me soon after — he started getting a lot of female attention due to the level of income. He mostly dated teenagers for some time and dropped out of the grad program, but he recently (allegedly) got into quite some trouble with the tax man. He changed into someone I barely recognized — and it happened almost overnight when the money started coming in. The account was hitting six digits. For my 23rd birthday, he bought himself a nice luxury car. At that point, I knew it was going to be over soon."

9. "We started dating at 13 years old. We both came from poor immigrant families who put education and religion above everything else. We lived in multigenerational households, grew up wearing thrifted clothes and homemade costumes, and rarely traveled or went out to eat. We ended up going to the same public university and continued to graduate school. During grad school, he got his first job at a startup and dropped out of his PhD program because the pay was pretty good (starting salary of $80,000, if I'm remembering correctly). A month in, the startup got acquired, and he went from broke grad student to having $300,000 in savings almost overnight. He bought a starter house and a new car, climbed the corporate ladder, and now makes around $2 million annually as his base salary. We are happily married with three children and have a luxury house we designed from the ground up. Money never changed the way he felt about me, but it definitely changed the trajectory of our lives."

10. "I went from making $20,000 a year in grad school (which took nearly seven years to finish) to making a strong six-figure salary. I am no millionaire, but I am doing well. I also met my girlfriend in grad school, and she was with me throughout that long, brutal process. She was with me when I was unemployed for six months, living on food stamps and my credit card, trying to land a job. Now, she is with me while I make good money working remotely. If anything, the money has made our relationship better; we have taken multiple international trips together, we go see live music more often, and we go out to dinner more often and at nicer places. We basically just have more fun together because going out does not break the bank like it used to."

Heartbreak and New Beginnings

1. "I know a guy who basically went from 'I am dating [girlfriend],' to 'We are seriously dating and engaged,' immediately after he found out she had been gifted a large investment portfolio. He locked her down so fast. Things are going well for them, but I will never look at him the same way. He has referred to the marriage as a 'financial opportunity' multiple times, and it's kind of crass."

2. "I helped my boyfriend through law school. After he graduated, he became a very successful partner and broke up with me for a much prettier girl. It hurt more because she was objectively a better catch, and, at the time, it really crushed my self-esteem. Part of me wishes I could say it didn't work out for him, but he's still happily married years later, and I'm still single. That's life, I guess."

3. "We were together for over 12 years. When his dad died from COVID, he inherited a wild amount of money. Turns out, the guy had way more properties and assets than anyone knew. As soon as the money came in, I was not 'good enough' anymore, and he traded me for a 25-year-old with a perfect boob job."

4. "I was with my ex through medical school and residency. He tried to become a plastic surgeon and was rejected two years in a row. He ended up in family medicine. Once he learned how much money he could make through telehealth, he didn't care about anything else. He quite literally did nothing but work, eat, sleep, and maybe occasionally watch TV for a year and a half. He went from making $50,000 to probably half a million a year. He ended things with me after I told him I was tired of him only caring about making money. He knew I was right, but I don't think he was able to step up and be the partner I deserved. We broke up three years ago. Last I heard, he had a bit of a mental breakdown and moved to Hungary. Still doing telehealth, still single."

5. "My ex-husband struggled for years to pass his board exam, and was ready to give up and work a lower-paying job instead. I happily supported us during that time, because I believed in him and our marriage. Even after having a baby and postpartum depression, I didn't reduce my work hours because we couldn't afford to. I paid off his and his parents' loans because we agreed to joint finances, and I figured life is long — there will be times I'll earn more, and times he will — so it shouldn't hold us back from doing what was good for our family. I pushed him to go for one last exam. He passed, got licensed, and everything changed. He became obsessed with making and spending money, working more hours than the average person in his field. Soon, he no longer wanted joint finances. His money was his money, and he would contribute what he decided was enough. He became abusive. After a few years, I figured out how to make do with my salary and divorced him."

6. "My girlfriend's family got super rich. When we met, they were solid middle-class. Her dad got a huge legal settlement for millions. She moved back home and cheated on me a bunch."

7. "When we met, he was so broke. But I don't care about that kind of stuff, so I helped support him and cheered him on while he tried to make his big comedy break. It happened, and he signed a huge contract. He dumped me that day. Should have seen it coming."

8. "They changed, they cheated, and they left me. I was there supporting their dreams. I was there with them, supporting their venture, only for them to turn around and bite me in the ass. Now they have nothing, and I, on the other hand, am doing well for myself."

9. "My sister was dating a guy who inherited a large sum of money. Their relationship accelerated, and they moved states, moved in together, bought a house, car, motorbike, huge boat, farm, and anything they fancied. They also had a child together. In 18 months of gambling and partying, they were unhoused and bankrupt. They borrowed money against their assets for investments that went sour fast and had to sell everything for less than they paid for it. By then, they owed $20,000 to $30,000 that they couldn't pay. A court bankruptcy order was placed on them, and they separated. Five years later, the same thing happened again with another large inheritance on his side. They got back together, traveled constantly, and blew enough money that could have bought a new house, furniture, and a car. After, they separated again and are living in a caravan park."

10. "Honestly? The biggest change was just a massive, collective sigh of relief. We paid off our student loans, our parents' mortgages, and took our first real vacation in 10 years. The first 'rich person' thing he did was buy a ridiculously expensive, custom-built gaming PC just to play Stardew Valley in 4K. The man has got his priorities straight. We still argue about whose turn it is to do the dishes — the sink is just in a much nicer kitchen now."

11. "I'm 38. When I was 30, I was a barista and had started dating a single mother of two. Sweet girl, she pushed me to finish school, and for the next three to four years, would take classes online and work full-time during the day. She was super chill and never expected too much of my time. She was happy to just have me over, doing homework quietly late into the night. I finished my software engineering degree at 34 and got my first industry job making $80,000. At the time, this was already pretty life-changing for both of us. She was making maybe $25,000 at the time. Four years later, I jumped into a big tech company and got a massive promotion the year before it was acquired, leaving me with an enormous tranche of company stock. I went from working part-time at Starbucks for $15 an hour to having a seven-figure net worth, but life is the same."

12. "We started from scratch. We met at university, got married, and had kids young. She then went back to university to retrain and ended up in a profession earning up to $400,000 a year. Combined, we earned almost $600,000 a year. We built up a multimillion-dollar asset base in large part for our retirement, but also for the kids. Fast forward a bit, and she developed alcoholism. Four or so years later, we separated. After that, she became addicted to drugs and is no longer working. Three years and many dollars spent on lawyers later, we dealt with our financial separation. I am now financially OK, while she is spending the rest of her money on her new 'lifestyle.' My kids are no longer in contact with her, so it's up to me to ensure something is passed on to them for their future."

13. "He made me open an individual savings account and tops it up every year to make sure I have a comfortable retirement. We live within my means in case he ever loses his job, but he overpays the mortgage so we can retire by 40."

Whether things ended in heartbreak or happily ever after, these stories prove that sudden wealth doesn't just change bank accounts — it can change people, priorities, and entire relationships, too. Got a story of your own? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!