Alan Naiman was a Washington state social worker who earned $67,200 a year. He wore shoes held together with duct tape, bought his clothes at the grocery store, and bragged about going entire days without spending a cent. When he died at 63, his coworkers discovered he had quietly amassed nearly $11 million and left most of it to children's charities.
A Social Worker Held His Shoes Together With Duct Tape. He Left $11 Million to Children's Charities.
Alan Naiman was not the kind of person you'd suspect of being a multimillionaire. He was a social worker at Washington's Department of Social and Health Services, earning roughly $67,200 a year. He wore shoes held together with duct tape. He bought pocket T-shirts at the grocery store and jeans at Costco. He bragged to friends about going entire days without spending a single cent.
When Naiman died of cancer in January 2018 at the age of 63, his coworkers were stunned to learn the truth: the man with the duct-tape shoes had quietly saved nearly $11 million.
The Secret
Before becoming a social worker, Naiman had worked in banking and made smart investments. But the money never changed how he lived. He ate simply, dressed cheaply, and found genuine satisfaction in spending nothing.
"He would brag about how he had a whole day out and didn't have to spend a single cent," his friend Shashi Karan told reporters.
Naiman never married. He had no children of his own. But he spent two decades working with society's most vulnerable kids, and the work shaped everything about his priorities.
The Gift
In his will, Naiman left the vast majority of his fortune to organizations serving children in need. Among the beneficiaries: the Pediatric Interim Care Center, which serves drug-dependent and medically fragile babies; the Treehouse foundation, which supports kids in foster care; and the Seattle Children's Hospital.
Smaller amounts went to his parents' Catholic church and to Disabled American Veterans.
The Brother
Friends say the roots of Naiman's generosity traced back to his older brother, who was disabled. "Growing up as a kid with an older, disabled brother kind of colored the way he looked at things," said friend Susan Madsen.
His brother died in 2013. Five years later, Naiman followed. The duct-tape shoes were real. So were the $11 million and the children he never met who would benefit from every penny a man refused to spend on himself.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Verified Fact
Verified via NPR, CBS News, KUOW, KOMO News. Duct tape shoes confirmed (NPR exact language). $67,200 salary confirmed. Died Jan 2018 age 63 confirmed. Estate "nearly $11 million" (NPR). Left "most of" not "every penny" to children charities -- some went to Catholic church and Disabled American Veterans. Disabled brother detail from friend Susan Madsen.
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