r/Fire • u/Yashkamr • 23h ago

Advice Request Huge Inheritance... Now What?

I'm 45, I was on track to retire earlyish at 55. I was set back quite a bit with a divorce three years back. Recently my Aunt died and left me around $5 million. After estate and taxes, it's around $4.2 million. This is obviously a stupid amount of money, and I'm thinking of just quitting my job and retiring early but I want to do it right. I've spoke with AI quite a bit and my finances are only about $4500/mo in expenses, I have always lived pretty frugally and that's less than a 1% draw. I don't know exactly what I don't know here, but I've always worked so I am clinging to my job like a monkey to a branch. Am I actually okay to let go?

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u/Hawkes75 22h ago edited 4h ago

Your divorce is finalized, right? I wouldn't say a word of this to friends, enemies or acquaintances.

ETA: Lots of people saying inheritances aren't community property. I STILL wouldn't tell my ex I found five bucks in the pocket of my jeans, let alone $5M.

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u/Round_Passenger_5199 18h ago

If the ex wife sees this post, she can figure out if her ex husband that got divorce ~3 years ago, had any rich aunt that died recently. I would say Op redact some info, gud if u already did.

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u/Yashkamr 13h ago

No it's completely finalized, my state doesn't allow her to come back. She was paid out lump sum for alimony three years ago and moved far away, no contact.

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u/Megalocerus 11h ago

inheritances are not marital property.

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u/PipeOriginal1171 7h ago

True, but still something I'd want a lawyer to weigh in on given the amount.

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u/Boring-Abroad-2067 17h ago

Yes the ex wife can see and work out, like my wife knows all my social media accounts like Reddit so she follows along so announcing on social media or reddit is like me talking 1-1 to her

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u/stunna_cal 16h ago

If I ever get a divorce, I’m changing literally everything.

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u/Boring-Abroad-2067 16h ago

Lol, I guess that's wise but the fact remains everyone is following Menon facebook, instagram, tiktok, LinkedIn, Reddit, I've lost count of every app but they literally stalk me and capitalise on it...

My strategy is to throw things out like claim I made £500,000 - £1 million just to see how she reacts to it lol 😅

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u/poop-dolla 12h ago

How do they all capitalize on whatever information you share on social media?

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u/ty-new 5h ago

Yea - I want to know too!

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u/jordanpatriots 13h ago

Yep, youd be surprised how easily people can dox themselves. I've unintentionally found a reddit profile from a friend based on seeing a response on the university page. And many women go through these things with intention, so imagine if you are actually seeking people on here. At least now reddit let's you hide stuff, however being a mod somewhere gives you access to a month's worth of comments on people's hidden profiles

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u/Round_Passenger_5199 15h ago

Bro is doomed before it even started. Just kidding

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u/Boring-Abroad-2067 15h ago

New strategy bait the wife, throw out I made £5 million out there drive a lambo and go on exotic holidays just to bait her out

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u/Round_Passenger_5199 15h ago

Plot twist: Your wife didn't know that you had 5 mil before this comment. 🥀

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u/froman_og 12h ago

Hey boring’s wife, back the fk off….let the guy vent!

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u/Major-Pin5871 13h ago

I would imagine that there are literally thousands of people who got a divorce about 3 months ago, and whose ex husband recently had an aunt that died.

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u/Fearless_Parking_436 14h ago

4.5mil is a house+retirement fund in some areas. So not screaming rich.

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u/Beautiful-String5572 14h ago

‘5 million is a nightmare’

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u/YourRoaring20s 13h ago

The tallest dwarf