A man who became a self-made millionaire aged 18 swapped his lavish lifestyle to live on the streets for three days, in a bid to prove that homeless people have done something to deserve their lot in life.
Taking to the streets of Southwark, South London for 5Star’s Rich Kids Go Homeless, Dan Legg, 20, from Cheddar, Somerset, said he believed rough sleepers must have done something to be ‘ditched’ by their friends and family.
He added that he wanted to prove that people could do more to escape the streets, saying: ‘It’s disappointing they spend that money on drinking. I don’t think it’ gonna help them get off of the streets. If I gave a homeless person some money I wouldn’t want them to spend it on alcohol.’
The online currency trader said he’d heard homeless people could make £50 TO £100 a day just from begging, and decided to give it a go in hopes of funding a night in a hotel.
But after 10 minutes of begging only earned him 50p, he realised getting off the streets would not be so easy.
And after meeting with other homeless people, Dan, who made his fortune via online trading, realised that many people end up on the streets due to bad luck.
Dan Legg, 20, from Cheddar, is used to the finer things in life and likes nothing more than splash his cash on his family and friends and lavish holidays. Before the 5Star social experiment where he went homeless for three days, he thought homeless people must had done something to be ‘ditched’ by their friends and family (pictured on holiday)
Dan said being homeless for three days had been emotionally hard on him and made him face his demons after losing his sister to suicide
‘Working’ during a holiday in Dubai. Dan made his first million aged 18 by trading currencies online (pictured)
Dan, who earns £50,000 to £75,000 a month revealed he almost quit mid-filming after a heart-to-heart with friendly homeless man Mark touched him to the core.
Mark explained to Dan his wife had taken her own life, and his parents-in-law died within 18 months, leaving him with nothing.
Moved to tears by Mark’s story, Dan revealed his sister took her own life in 2017, when he was about to take his A-levels, and the tragedy had a deep impact on his life.
However, after a day spent starving and being ignored by passers-by, the heart-to-heart was the last blow for Dan, who requested to step away from camera in order to collect himself.
Pictured with a blue Lamborghini in Dubai. The self-made millionaire said he wanted to buy a luxury car of his own
‘That hit me quite hard, his whole story about his wife,’ he said.
‘It’s something I try to keep out of my head because it’s bad memories.
‘It does f*** your life up, but I sort of managed to sort myself out and ended doing well for myself and looking up to my family after everything they been through,’ he said through tears.
‘That’s why I always treat my parents, because they deserve everything,’ he added.
As a homeless man, Dan found it hard to be rejected by people on the street while begging, after initially believing he would make £100 a day (pictured)
The millionaire said he didn’t why understand why homeless people wound up on the street (pictured in front of his home)
Dan admitted on the programme that he struggled after his sister’s death, and added his friends always stood by him.
Although he rallied and decided to keep at the social experiment, Dan later admitted he almost quit mid-filming due to the hard conditions and the emotional strain.
On the show, calling his friend Callum for support, he said: ‘I was a bit f***** up today emotionally, like tempted to just end it and come out.
‘I met Mark and he was telling me how he became homeless and there are a few people in his family that killed themselves and that f***** me up quite badly
Dan is more used to flashy cars, expensive trainers and lavish hotels and cars (pictured) than roughing it
The self-made man found it hard to sleep on the floor in London, and being woken up by garbage trucks collecting bin bags (pictured)
‘I’m alright now, I just started speaking about it, I sort of had to walk off, I was a bit of a wreck, because of the stress.
‘Being on the streets, you have loads of time to think about it,’ he explained.
Before the experience, Dan opened up about his lavish lifestyle, admitting to spending thousands on his wardrobe, with a collection of designer trainers amounting to £5,000, a £15,000 watch on his wrist and plans to buy a Lamborghini.
For his 20th birthday, he recounted hiring a yacht for all his friends for £16,000, but said the price was worth it, because it was one of the best nights of his life.
Dan, who also gave his parents jobs in his trading business, said he liked to take them on holiday and spoil them with his money.
Dan, pictured flyboarding on holiday in Cyprus, is able to spend his money on fun experiences and treating his parents, since he makes up to £75,000 a month
Rich Kids Go Homeless airs tomorrow at 9pm on 5Star.