New Hampshire man dies a secret multimillionaire, leaves $3.8M to his small town
An unassuming man living in a New Hampshire mobile home has been discovered to be a secret millionaire after he passed away in June.
Geoffrey Holt, who died aged 82 this summer, amassed close to $4 million and left it to his local community in Hinsdale.
"I don’t think anyone had any idea that he was that successful," said Hinsdale's Selectboard Chairman Steve Diorio.
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He continued, "I know he didn’t have a whole lot of family, but nonetheless, to leave it to the town where he lived in... It's a tremendous gift."
Locals described Holt as quiet and unassuming, wearing old clothes and driving a lawn mower to get around instead of a car.
Neighbors say his house was largely empty and didn't have a television or internet.
Holt's will instructed estate managers to pay out his $3.8 million fortune to the town of Hinsdale.
"Geoffrey had a learning disability. He had dyslexia," said Geoffrey Holt's sister, Alison Holt.
She was aware that her brother had seen quiet success in investing but didn't know the extent of his earnings.
She continued, "He was very smart in certain ways. When it came to writing or spelling, he was a lost cause. And my father was a professor. So, I think that Geoff felt like he was disappointing my dad. But maybe socking away all that money was a way to compete."
No concrete plans have been made for the use of Holt's donation, but ideas have been offered such as building restorations, an upgrade for the town hall, and ballot-counting machines for local voters.