Meet the Billionaire Who Feeds on People’s Food Waste

According to Saed News’ society section, scavenging through trash is a profession that, despite its drawbacks, has certain advantages. Most of us are aware of these benefits, but we often assume that people who do this work are financially struggling. In reality, this isn’t always true—some individuals have amassed incredible wealth while living off discarded items, such as the man in the story below.

An 80-year-old German man, despite owning multiple properties worth millions of euros, still survives on food and other items he finds in dumpsters. This unusual lifestyle has earned him the reputation of being one of the world’s most frugal millionaires. Recently, images of him have gone viral online, sparking widespread attention.

Although he recently spent several thousand euros to purchase another property, he rarely keeps his money in the bank, making it difficult to estimate his exact income and net worth.

The strangest part of his story is that, despite his enormous wealth, he continues to rely on discarded food and items thrown away by others to get by.

Heinz recently told the German newspaper Bild:

“People waste so much. They throw away enough food to feed your entire family. For instance, someone buys a pack of sausages, eats one, and tosses the rest in the trash. By eating these leftovers, I can…”

This pensioner from Darmstadt, in southwestern Germany, owns seven villas and two apartment units, with around €500,000 ($540,000) in liquid assets—though this is clearly not the total of his wealth. Continuously growing his fortune, he recently invested €700,000 in purchasing another house.