A millennial woman has sparked debate online for owning a home at a young age thanks to help from her boomer parents.
Katherine Fox, a certified financial planner, posted a reel on Instagram about the “awkward” moment when friends shift from suspecting you have money to knowing you’re rich.
Fox, who works primarily with high-net-worth clients at Sunnybranch Wealth (@sunnybranchwealth), said her reel addresses the unspoken emotional baggage of receiving financial help, especially for the millennials navigating rising housing costs.
@sunnybranchwealth
“For most inheritors, wealth is always obvious, but it isn’t always obvious to you,” the 34-year-old told Newsweek.
Even if people try to keep it under wraps, Fox said factors such as student debt, family vacations and how friends talk about money are when you start to notice the difference.
“This is the point at which a lot of the hiding wealth behaviors come in,” Fox said. “You aren’t able to acknowledge or navigate that class difference, so you try to pretend it doesn’t exist.”
Fox pointed out the benefits of having a large amount of wealth at a young age, including the freedom to take risks in your career, opportunities to bet on yourself and not having to wait to afford major life milestones. This is something Fox said is nothing to be ashamed of.
“You’ve been given an incredible gift—what are you going to do with it? That’s where the weight and responsibility of inheriting wealth comes into play,” Fox added. “I see the financial gifts I’ve received as an investment in my children’s future.”
She continued: “While they have allowed us to live some areas of our life differently, my job is to protect and grow these assets for the future while also using them to do good in the world right now.”
As housing affordability worsens and homeownership slips further out of reach for younger generations, her reel drew mixed reactions.
Among the 802,000 views and dozens of comments, some praised Fox for her transparency, while others couldn’t understand her struggles.
“Why make your kids wait until you die to enjoy your wealth? I bought both of my daughters houses because I saw how hard home ownership was becoming and having them both permanently housed gives me peace of mind,” one user wrote.
Another user shared that her grandparents started saving money for each grandchild before they died, but requested it must be used for school fees or a property.
“At 23, with their help and my parents’ help, I bought my house. My parents have helped me out in other ways too. I consider myself extremely lucky but not entitled. It’s their money. If they want to spend it all, they can. I would never assume it’s mine,” the poster wrote.
A third commenter wrote: “Most people can’t even afford your lululemon hoodie. Move on. The world has real problems. If you really felt any guilt, set up a nonprofit. Solve some actual problems.”
Fox encourages her clients at Sunnybranch Wealth who have inherited money to think about what she calls the “Three Ps” of giving: personal, philanthropic and political.
“Building a more-just world requires inheritors to think about their own version of ‘enough’ and get comfortable with the idea of surrounding some of their wealth and, therefore, their power,” she added. “This is a difficult but rewarding journey.”
As for her reel, Fox said that she received mostly positive responses, though she acknowledged some criticism.
“I know there will always be a lot of jealousy and anger at my posts, and I understand that,” Fox said. “I am speaking to a very niche audience, and I’m talking about the privilege problems of the .01 percent.”
Her advice to other young adults quietly grappling with privilege is to talk about it. “Shame and guilt thrive in quiet, dark places,” Fox said. “There is an incredible amount of power in being able to verbalize these feelings and talk with someone who knows the burden you’re carrying.”