- Kevin Xu, CEO of Alpha AI, has $9.8 million in his 401(k) retirement account
- His checking and savings accounts hold only $3,000 and $296 respectively
- Xu declined to take his wife on vacation citing limited liquid funds
A San Francisco-based CEO with a $9.8 million retirement savings plan has sparked outrage and mockery online by refusing to take his wife on vacation. With such a substantial net worth, one might expect luxury vacations and a life of ease, however, this CEO's choice seems to prioritise other aspects of his life.
Kevin Xu, CEO of Alpha AI, shared a screenshot of his account balances on X, revealing a stark contrast between his retirement savings and readily accessible cash. His 401(k) account boasts $9.8 million, while his checking and savings accounts have significantly lower balances of $3,000 and $296, respectively.
He jokingly illustrated his situation by describing a conversation with his wife, where he turned down a vacation request due to feeling financially strapped. Xu implied that few people understand the challenges of managing wealth tied up in retirement accounts versus liquid assets. According to his X bio, Xu is a Stanford graduate with a net worth of $10.9 million.
See the tweet here:
His tweet has divided opinion, with many questioning why Xu wouldn't use some of his wealth for leisure activities with his wife. One user wrote, "Why not enjoy yourself while you have energy? You could die at 50."
Another commented, "When will you enjoy your money? when you're too old to be active? money is a tool for freedom, not a trophy for your grave."
A third said, "Don't make sense. This is pure greed. Dont want to enjoy life a little because you want to save up every penny of it until you're older. Wait until you realize you won't be able to do as much as you would've been able to do in your young days."
"I get the idea but if I have 9.8m I'm taking my wife wherever he wants to go and doing ANYTHING she wants to do. Always," a fourth added.
Yet another stated, "Posts like this are so stupid. What's the point of having $10m in your 401k that you can only use when you can barely enjoy life anymore? No one is saying you should go out and overspend on stupid things. But vacation once in a while. Treat yourself/family to something nice. You never know whats gonna happen tomorrow."
Notably, 401(k) is a workplace retirement plan in the US that enables employees to allocate a portion of their salary to long-term investments. Many employers offer matching contributions to incentivise participation. However, accessing funds before retirement age typically incurs penalties, making 401(k) plans most beneficial for saving towards post-work life.
