“They’ll Have No Idea What Poverty Is”: Jackie Chan, Who Once Refused to Leave $400 Million Fortune for His Son, Regretted Arranging Basic Life Necessities for Him

Published 03/10/2023, 1:46 PM EST

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Jackie Chan, known for his humble nature and fortitude, had a difficult childhood. Coming from a middle-class family, Chan never really got the chance to live in luxury. In fact, from the age of 7, the martial artist had to live in a boarding school, which eventually contributed to his strict lifestyle. However, as a responsible father, the Vanguard actor always wanted to provide his son with basic necessities. Though he regretted that later.

In his memoir, the Hollywood legend decoded his life and talked about his life. In part two of the “Fatherhood” chapter, Chan shared how his fame and money hampered the childhood of Jaycee, who never comprehended what it was to be a person with disadvantages. Chan always wanted his children to value money, which led to his decision to refuse his son of his fortune. Let’s find out the reason behind his big judgment.

How did Jackie Chan handle being a father?

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In his autobiography, Never Grow Up, Chan opened up about his tumultuous relationship with his son. He shared how his busy schedule hindered their relationship when Jaycee was a child. The distance between them and Chan’s way of teaching made his son rebellious and he would do just the opposite of what his father would tell him to do. However, as a kid, Jaycee used to give this father a tough time with his habits, fumbling while talking, and nonchalant attitude.

Learning from his own struggles as a child, the Rush Hour actor wanted to furnish Jaycee’s childhood with luxuries. He never let his son worry, “about having enough food, how to pay his school fees, or if he needed to be driven anywhere.” Chan would arrange everything, though later he regretted it. As for him, “No one should have such a good life from their birth. They’ll have no idea what poverty is, and not see the need to work hard for their future.”

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In fact, when Jaycee was a teenager, he wasted his precious time, making his father worry about his future. The martial artist would get disappointed coming home after a tiring day and seeing Jaycee asleep at just 9 at night. Then Chan would storm out in a bad mood, thinking if there’s a way of teaching Jaycee to live a proper life.

Chan dealt with Jaycee in his own ways

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As a conservative Asian father, Jackie wanted his son to live by rules and be disciplined. But Jaycee would never pay any heed to his father’s words. Thus, the martial artist used to deal with his son in another way. To prevent Jaycee from over-speeding while driving, Chan and his wife Joan would refer to other accidents in front of Jaycee, which made him conscious and scared, and per Chan, that drill worked.

When Jaycee was almost a grown man, his father candidly shared in an interview that he would donate all his $400 million worth of fortune to charity rather than giving that to Jaycee. The focus of the actor here was to drive his son to make his own name in the world.

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However, hailing from an austere childhood, Jackie Chan always regretted not making his son comprehend the idea of poverty. Do you agree with Chan’s method of dealing with his son?

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Written by:

Soumili Chatterjee

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Soumili Chatterjee is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. She secured her bachelor’s and master's degree in English literature from the University of Calcutta. After being a technical and blog writer for nearly three years, it was her ardent love for sports that steered her career toward the sports industry.
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Edited by:

Tony Thomas