The Little Homeless Dutch Boy Millionaire

March 17, 2011 7:39 AM

Jerry Winkler was a homeless drug addict on the streets of Amsterdam. His life had been one filled with strife and tragedy, until the fateful day he discovered his biological father was a millionaire.
posted by msali (19 comments total)

I'm glad that Jerry Winkler's got a life now and that he's using it to help others in need. The deus ex machina aspect of the story bothers me a little, most because almost all homeless and destitute people will not discover that they have dead millionaire fathers and that they are heirs to a fortune. But it bothers me less than the excerable "Secret Millionaire" idea, which asks us to imagine that scads of millionaires are going to suddenly have a heart and swoop like demiurges into impoversihed communities and save untold numbers of lives.
posted by blucevalo at 7:44 AM on March 17, 2011 [6 favorites]

He's living the american dream!
posted by blue_beetle at 7:49 AM on March 17, 2011

I'll wager a million bucks that this feel-good story doesn't end well.
posted by M.C. Lo-Carb! at 7:52 AM on March 17, 2011 [4 favorites]

Good for him. Not like those lottery winners who put the money away and keep living the same lives as before.
posted by three blind mice at 7:54 AM on March 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

But just wait until a gypsy curses him to spend 30 days switching bodies with his 12 year old son.
posted by DU at 7:55 AM on March 17, 2011 [4 favorites]

Aaaayyyy, step into my office!
posted by swift at 8:01 AM on March 17, 2011

I've been waiting forEVER for my real parents (who were undoubtedly wealthy, beautiful, and VERY VERY NICE AND WOULD NEVER SAY NO) to show up and buy me...well, when I was six it was going to be a much-needed pony, and when I was 13 it was the designer jeans that stood between me and Popularity, and when I was 20 it was food, because I was broke as a joke. Now I guess it would be a Birkin bag because I don't have any unfulfilled needs at this point.

Real, millionaire, possibly royal-blooded parents: COME GET ME ALREADY.
posted by padraigin at 8:03 AM on March 17, 2011 [12 favorites]

I swear that I've seen this movie before.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:25 AM on March 17, 2011

Maybe far away
or maybe real nearby
he may be pouring her coffee
she may be straightening his tie

Maybe in a house
all hiden by a hill
she's sitting playing piano
he's sitting paying a bill

betcha they're young
betcha they're smart
bet they collect things like
ashtrays and art

betcha they're good
why shoudn't they be?
their one mistake
was giving up me!

so maybe now its time,
and maybe when I wake,
they'll be there calling me baby, maybe...
posted by briank at 8:27 AM on March 17, 2011 [4 favorites]

The way he keeps saying "or whatsoever" is kind of adorable.

But yeah, I hope it does end well.
posted by functionequalsform at 8:28 AM on March 17, 2011

I prefer the stories of people who were drug addicted homeless people, who through hard work... mental, emotional, and spiritual rehabilitation... a little luck... perseverance and a new perspective on life, are now completely indistinguishable from any other relatively happy, kinda-mosta the time fulfilled working class schlub.
posted by Debaser626 at 8:47 AM on March 17, 2011 [8 favorites]

This story reminds me of a heart-warming quote by David Lee Roth:

"I used to have a drug problem, but now I have money."
posted by BitterOldPunk at 8:53 AM on March 17, 2011 [10 favorites]

I had a whole list of celebrities I thought could be real parents. It turns out my biological parents are poor and they are like me in every way.

Greater treasure than money any day. However I'm happy this guys biological father was able to help him. Every child deserves to be resued from a horrible childhood whether that be rescuing them from abusive homes, or rescuing them from poverty by providing realistic support to their families. Punishing the parents by asking them to lay in the beds they made (or in some cases were handed to them)--- really hurts the kids most. There has got to be a way we could provide supports to kids in poor/struggling/inadequate families that would not be easily abused by the parents.

I'll figure it out or die trying.
posted by xarnop at 10:40 AM on March 17, 2011

I swear that I've seen this movie before.

You might have read the bédé (either in original French or its English translation), seen the television show or watched the movie.
posted by Shepherd at 11:03 AM on March 17, 2011

This story is like Charlie Sheen played in reverse.
posted by DU at 11:13 AM on March 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

But it bothers me less than the excerable "Secret Millionaire" idea, which asks us to imagine that scads of millionaires are going to suddenly have a heart and swoop like demiurges into impoversihed communities and save untold numbers of lives.

Or Undercover Boss, which asks us to imagine that CEOs around the world can actually be made to care about the plight of the peons who labor for them.
posted by Thoughtcrime at 11:59 AM on March 17, 2011

That picture of him in the first link should be what you see when you look up "shit-eating grin" in the dictionary.
posted by papercake at 12:29 PM on March 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Or Undercover Boss ...

I figured that show was just product placement to the extreme. I assumed that companies pay CBS a shitload of money to get their CEOs on primetime for an hour.
posted by mrgrimm at 1:57 PM on March 17, 2011

scads of millionaires are going to suddenly have a heart

CEOs around the world can actually be made to care about the plight of the peons who labor for them

Keep those fists balled tight and that jaw clenched! The universe owes you, man.
posted by oncogenesis at 5:16 PM on March 17, 2011