Ronald James Reed was an American philanthropist, investor, janitor and gas station attendant. He bought a two-bedroom house for $12,000 at age 38 and lived there for the rest of his life. In his will, the former janitor left $2 million to his stepkids and more than $6 million to his local hospital and library. Richard Fuscon had such a successful career in finance that he retired in his 40s to become a philanthropist. The 2008 financial crisis hurt virtually everyone's finances. High debt and illiquid assets left him bankrupt.