From nothing to millions... a true story


Today, I've got a little story to share.

I learned this from a personal finance guru… Pobre Millenial.

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The story is true.

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It’s about a lady called Grace Groner.

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She was as ordinary as a ham sandwich… or temporary taxes becoming permanent.

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Born in 1909 in a small town in Illinois, USA.

She was orphaned young and raised by neighbours, with no luxuries and few opportunities.

She went to college, graduated, and got a job as a secretary at Abbott Laboratories, a major pharmaceutical company.

This is where her story seems to settle into the "normal life" routine…

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But Grace had something most people don’t: patience and long-term vision.

She wasn’t in a rush and didn’t act like she was the queen of the world.

In 1935, after some time at Abbott, she decided to invest a bit. Just $180.

Yes, you read that right—not $1,000 or $10,000 or some big movie figure.

Just $180 to buy three shares in her own company.

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Here’s the best part: she never sold those shares.

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For the next 75 years, Grace did nothing.

While everyone went wild over stock markets, crises, bubbles, and booms, she stayed calm.

She didn’t touch her shares when they rose or fell.

She was in no rush, and in the meantime, those three shares multiplied thanks to dividends and Abbott’s regular share buybacks.

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By the time Grace passed away in 2010, that initial $180 had grown to over $7 million.

And she never lived like the millionaire she was on paper.

She remained the same lady living in a small house, wearing simple clothes, and walking around her neighborhood like any grandma.

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No Lamborghinis or mansions.

And if you think she was stingy, here’s the ending.

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When she died, she donated her entire fortune to her college to create a scholarship fund for students who couldn’t afford tuition.

So, she didn’t keep the money for herself or waste it on luxuries.

She just let it grow and then gave it back to the world.

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3 Lessons from Grandma Grace

  1. You don’t have to be rich to start investing. With $180—now the cost of a few dinners with friends—this woman built a fortune that left her whole town speechless.
  2. Time is your best ally. Grace understood what most people never grasp: the power of compound interest. The longer you let your money work, the more it grows without lifting a finger. While everyone else was frantically buying and selling, she stayed put and waited.
  3. You don’t have to live like a millionaire to be one. Grace never felt the need to prove her wealth to anyone, leaving a legacy far greater than any luxury car or poolside mansion.

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So, next time you’re tempted to spend €100 or €200 or on something you don’t need or… Netflix over a year… remember Grace Groner.

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The difference between being ordinary and extraordinary isn’t always about making more—it’s about what you do with what you already have.

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And if you have no clue but want to learn, I can teach you what an average person readying many books and practicing investing every day like me knows... and that all bankers, fund managers, etc. are not interested in you to know.

Dozens of people are already investing as Grace... and if not, better than most fund managers, thanks to this.

​Invest better than 99% of people... including fund managers​

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Vicente Valencia

I talk about Personal Growth, Management, Infrastructure and More | C-Suite Executive | Mentor, Coach, Strategic Consultant | Real Estate Investor | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇

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