Martin Lewis reveals truth of what it is like to have £120m fortune

Martin Lewis helps us keep put more money back in to our bank accounts. And it's something he knows very well himself, with a personal fortune worth more than £100 million.

The Money Saving Expert (MSE) founder now spends of his time presenting on TV, whether that be Good Morning Britain or The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

But before that, the finance journalist founded the MSE website in 2003.

He then sold it for £87 million in 2012, having set up the website for £80 nine years earlier. He retained a stake in MSE, with more than £12 million.

High Performance/YouTube

The Mancunian is now worth a whopping £123 million, according to The Sunday Times Rich List.

But despite his wealth, Lewis is loved by the ordinary man and very much seen as 'one of our own'.

Appearing on the High Performance podcast with Jake Humphrey recently, Humphrey said: "Most people feel more content, happier, more relaxed if they've a few bob in the bank."

Responding, Lewis was very honest about his cash in the bank and what it means for him. Despite being worth what he is worth, he remains passionate about saving us a few quid on a monthly phone contract.

"Having money in the bank is great. it doesn't make you happy but it certainly takes away many of the negatives and it gives you a safety net and it enables you to look after those you love and that's incredibly important," Lewis said.

"It's not about the money so much. It's probably a weird bit of me fighting that there's an injustice that people can be as wealthy as me in the world. I'm very glad I am, I'm not saying I'm not.

"And it means I choose what I do. I don't have to work, I never have to work a day again in my life so nothing I do anymore has anything to do with making money. I choose what I do and why I do it and that's the greatest luxury and freedom that you can have, that your life is your control.

High Performance / YouTube

"And interestingly, I do tend to think most people who have made a lot of money tend to be the ones that don't stop work because they're driven. There's a virtuous circle going on there."

Lewis spoke honestly about being wealthy in the Covid pandemic while millions suffered with their finances.

He said: "I remembering in the pandemic, my head on my desk crying for weeks on end at the messages that were coming in and the desperation of people's lives. And people out there will be going 'why didn't you just give them money?' - because it doesn't work.

"No matter how much money you've got, it takes you five minutes and it can all be gone. I put money into charities and organisations to try and help and I work it that way. Direct handouts to a few individuals is just spitting in the sea.

"Because I'm the 'Money Saving Expert' and I'm dealing with people's financial issues, and I don't have them myself, I think that helps some of the guilt that comes from it.

"When I sold the website... and I was going to be publicly rich and it's a phrase that I use quite deliberately, because I had an asset [the website] worth several millions of pounds... and then had cash of the same amount.

"The knowledge I was publicly going to be very wealthy and I was worried what people would say. It makes me laugh these days because you get people going 'oh you get it Martin but Rishi Sunak and others with their millions in the bank how can they understand it'. It doesn't preclude you from understanding it as long as you work hard and care."

Caring for more than his own personal wealth has always been a thing Lewis has shown, giving £10m of the £87m MSE sold for to charity.

And he's still executive chair of the business to this day, meaning he has final say over its editorial direction.

If only the world had more Martin Lewis'.