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Today, Jackie Chan is a successful actor, producer, and philanthropist who has used his success to give back to others. However, this success came after years of hard work and struggle. Chan has been open about how he had a difficult time with poor financial conditions early in his life. But the long battle with money led him to develop a desire to buy everything he could, to make up for his past suffering.
With a career spanning over five decades, Chan has innumerable memories for his fans. But only a few people know about Chan’s habit of buying anything and everything.
The unusual habit of Jackie Chan
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As a child, Jackie Chan had to work hard to help his family make ends meet. He started working at a young age, first as a delivery boy and later as an apprentice in a construction company. Despite the hard work, he still had to contend with the realities of poverty, including living in cramped quarters and wearing hand-me-down clothes. It was this experience of poverty that led Chan to develop a desire to buy everything he could as he became successful in his career.
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He writes in his autobiography that he felt a need to make up for his past suffering by buying everything he wanted, from clothes and cars to luxury books “I wouldn’t purchase just a few pairs of shoes; I’d go scoop up the contents of an entire warehouse.”, he wrote in his autobiography Never Grow Up.
Chan shared that he used to be envious of others who could afford to buy everything they wanted. “Looking back, I guess I behaved like this to make up for past suffering.”, he added. However, as he became more successful, Jackie Chan realized that buying everything he wanted was not the answer to his problems. He realized that material possessions could not fill the void left by his childhood experiences and that true happiness came from within. And the multimillionaire star wanted to pass on the same value to his son.
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What will Jackie Chan do with his wealth?
There is one aspect of his life that is not widely known – his decision to refuse to give his wealth to his only son, Jaycee Chan. In a candid interview, Chan revealed that he had decided to leave his vast fortune to charity rather than pass it on to his son. He explained that he had worked hard for his wealth and wanted it to be used for the greater good rather than to spoil his son.
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Jackie-Chan-car-collection.png?width=150&blur=15)
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He has established several charitable foundations, including the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation and the Dragon’s Heart Foundation. Chan’s life story serves as an inspiration to many, showing that with hard work and determination, anyone can overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams.
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