Chow Yun-fat is living a frugal life
31 Jan – Chow Yun-fat is a huge international star, but the 'God of Gamblers' himself is known for living a humble lifestyle – riding public transportation, wearing old clothes, and even opted for his old mobile phone instead of a smart phone.
In an interview with East Network in Beijing, Chow revealed the reason for his way of living and financial success, saying, "My mother always taught me to save ten percent of every payment I get. She taught me that thriftiness is a virtue."
In regards to his choice of using public transportation instead of owning a car or employing a driver, Chow said, "If I hire a driver, I would feel bad for making him wait for me all day long. I would not be able to pay attention because I know someone is waiting for me."
He also stated that using public transport also enables him to observe people, and denied that his presence attracted any attention, saying, "Almost 90 percent of the people on the subway would be staring down at their phones. Who would even realised I'm there? It's no different than stepping into an abandoned land!"
The actor also added that since he has no children and is getting old, he is planning to donate his wealth, around HKD 1 billion, to charity after his death.
Stating that it is his way to thank the society, Chow said, "I feel that the money does not really belong to me, and that I am just in charge of keeping it temporarily. I will definitely donate it all to charities that need it the most."
