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Kevin O’Leary continues to shop at Walmart despite owning an estimated fortune of $400 million. The Canadian investor says wealth has not changed his interest in finding lower prices on everyday goods.
In a recent Instagram video, the 72-year-old visited Walmart after his wife requested several household items. His list included batteries, butter, paper towels, and OxiClean laundry spray. During the trip, he also explained why he returns to the retailer.
The purchases covered routine household needs rather than luxury goods, while his comments focused on price comparisons, product usefulness, and control over day-to-day costs at home.
O’Leary said he shops at Walmart to find practical products at lower prices. He also pointed to the black jeans he often wears as an example. “I’m always looking for a great deal, that’s why I’m in Walmart,” he said. “Walmart special, 29 smackaroos. That’s how you save dough.”
The investor applied the same approach while choosing paper towels. He compared the number of standard rolls in a Bounty package before selecting an option. “I want to save dough when it comes to paper towels,” O’Leary said. He then chose a 12-plus-roll package marketed as equal to 18 smaller rolls.
O’Leary owns multimillion-dollar homes in Florida, Massachusetts, and Toronto. However, he has continued making public trips to Walmart. He argues that shoppers should not pay more for basic goods when a cheaper product serves the same purpose.
His focus on careful spending also reflects his view that earnings can change over time. Following another Walmart visit in 2021, O’Leary told CNBC that he dislikes wasting money. “I just don’t get why you would do that,” he said. “It’s so hard to make it in the first place.”
O’Leary often discusses saving alongside his business and investment advice. His recent store visit showed how that approach applies to small purchases, including clothing and cleaning products. For him, the amount saved matters less than avoiding an unnecessary expense.
Warren Buffett has followed several low-cost routines throughout his career. The Berkshire Hathaway investor still lives in the Omaha house he bought for $31,500 in 1958. The five-bedroom property now carries an estimated value above $1.3 million.
Buffett also used to buy breakfast at McDonald’s before reaching his office. A 2017 HBO documentary reported that he adjusted his order according to market conditions. On weaker days, he spent $2.61 on two sausage patties. On stronger days, he spent $3.17 on a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit.
IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad also maintained low-cost habits after building his fortune. He bought secondhand clothes and drove an older Volvo. In a 2016 Swedish documentary, Kamprad said, “I don’t think I’m wearing anything that wasn’t bought at a flea market.” He continued working at IKEA until age 87.
Scale AI cofounder Lucy Guo has described similar routines. She has bought discounted clothing, skateboarded to work, and used buy-one-get-one-free offers on Uber Eats. She also told Fortune that many clothes she wears came free or from Shein. These examples show how several wealthy business figures continue to monitor routine spending after their fortunes grow.
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