Ashton Kutcher thinks his children "are living a really privileged life, and they don't even know it."
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis don’t plan to leave their kids any money or an inheritance. According to BuzzFeed News, Kutcher, who shares an 8-year-old daughter Wyatt, and a 6-year-old son Dimitri with Kunis, is reportedly worth $200 million while the couple’s combined net worth is around $275 million. Kutcher first revealed his plans to not leave his kids inheritance in a 2018 appearance on Dax Shepard's podcast, Armchair Expert.
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis reveal they will donate their $275 million fortune to charity and not leave anything for their children.
— Pop Tingz (@ThePopTingz) March 30, 2023
They say they don't want their children to become spoiled and entitled, and want them to be motivated to work hard. pic.twitter.com/NitBFHS1d4
“I’m not setting up a trust for them,” he said at the time. “We’ll end up giving our money away to charity and to various things.” Kutcher grew up in a lower-middle-class family where rich people were seen as "evil." He thinks his children "are living a really privileged life, and they don't even know it. And they'll never know it, because this is the only one that they'll know."
There are exceptions to the rule and they will have to earn money if they want it. "If my kids want to start a business, and they have a good business plan, I'll invest in it," he said. "But they're not getting trusts." The dad of two wants his kids to be down-to-earth and often takes them on camping trips. "I want them to be really resourceful," he said. "As long as they know what to do when they don't have things . . . so hopefully they'll be motivated to have what they had, or some version of what they had."
Many people online think the decision not to leave your children money when you’re that wealthy is cruel. One person commented, "I get the instinct to be repelled by ostentatious displays of wealth but there is really absolutely nothing admirable about refusing to let your children reap the fruits of your labor sorry. If not for your children then for who." Another added, "I understand that you want your children to have values and work for stuff but like come on."
This isn't the first the couple's parenting methods have been criticized online. On July 17, 2021, Kutcher and Kunis appeared on an episode of Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast and spoke about their bath routines, when Shepard and co-host Monica Padman started discussing how often they shower. Shepard told Padman that she "should not be getting rid of the natural oil on your skin with a bar of soap every day" and just wash with water instead. Immediately, Kunis, 39, and Kutcher, 45, agreed with him. "I can't believe I am in the minority here of washing my whole body in the shower," said Padman, before proceeding to ask Kunis what made her get into the habit of not using soap often.
"I didn't have hot water growing up as a child, so I didn't shower much anyway," the actress replied. Old habits die hard, and the mom said that she did the same with her children. "But when I had children, I also didn't wash them every day," the Friends With Benefits actor continued. "I wasn't that parent that bathed my newborns — ever." Kutcher added, "Now, here's the thing, If you can see the dirt on them, clean them. Otherwise, there's no point."
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher Say They Only Bathe Their Kids When 'You Can See the Dirt on Them' https://t.co/d4HzCFlOgF
— People (@people) July 27, 2021
References:
https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/ashton-kutcher
https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/mila-kunis-ashton-kutcher
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Jesse Grant