Meet ‘God of Freebies’: Stock market investor who lives off only coupons and NO money, has net worth of ₹32 crore

A 75-year-old Japanese man is in the limelight for his unconventional style of living. He redeems coupons and uses free offers for food, clothes, entertainment and whatnot. His day starts with racing against time to redeem coupons before they expire.

Hiroto Kiritani, a stock market investor, has been dubbed “God of Freebies." For a decade, he has been using only coupons and free offers instead of money to fulfil his day-to-day needs. In fact, he even enjoys pastimes he does not like just because they are free.

His story, reported by the Chinese WeMedia outlet Ins Daily, has amused and shocked netizens.

According to the South China Morning Post, Kiritani takes advantage of every coupon and free offer available despite earning hundreds of millions of yen from the stock market.

Hiroto Kiritani holds stocks in more than 1,000 companies. He reportedly has a net worth exceeding 100 million yen (US$637,000 or ₹5.46 crore). By mid-2024, his wealth increased to nearly 600 million yen (US$3.8 million or ₹32.5 crore), to the extent that he reportedly finds cash scattered in corners of his home.

Despite this wealth, he avoids luxury brands and travels only by bicycle, which he acquired with coupons, reported the South China Morning Post.

Kiritani's life took a dramatic turn after he lost 200 million yen in the 2008 stock market crash. He was then determined never to waste money again.

He then meticulously began collecting coupons and shareholder benefits from the more than 1,000 companies in which he held stocks, including in the food, clothing and entertainment sectors.

Kiritani’s philosophy is straightforward: “Letting coupons expire is shameful.”

His daily schedule is a race against time to redeem coupons before they expire. He even bought a bicycle using coupons. He speeds through Tokyo on that bicycle, visiting restaurants for free meals.

With freebies, he even enjoys activities he has no interest in. He redeems gym memberships, film tickets, and sauna services, sings in karaoke bars, and even participates in bungee jumping and roller coasters—all because they are free.

According to the report, the Japanese man receives more than 300 movie vouchers each year and can watch up to 140 films annually, surpassing that of many professional film critics.

Kiritani has written books and appeared on TV to share his tips on frugal living, inspiring young people to make the most of their resources.