
Keke Palmer became a millionaire at just 12 years old, but even now, with a successful Hollywood career, she’s committed to living below her means.
In a recent interview with CNBC, the actress revealed her budget-first mindset: “If I have $1 million in my pocket, my rent is going to be $1,500. My car note is going to be $340. I don’t need a Bentayga—I’ll ride in a Lexus.”
Palmer, now 31, rose to fame as a child star in Akeelah and the Bee, Barbershop 2, and Madea’s Family Reunion. She started earning big long before her peers, but her parents, who made about $40,000 annually at the time, made sure she understood the value of money. “I learned from my parents very early on because they knew their limitations with money and finances,” she said. “I believe in saving and frugality… I don’t play around with that.”
On Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, Palmer explained that she began working 10–15 years before most people her age held their first job. Despite the early success, she avoided the flashy lifestyle often associated with fame. Her financial philosophy remains grounded in practicality and choice—not status.
She encourages young people, especially women, to get educated about money. “Be curious about that kind of stuff, because you don’t want to do things based off survival. You want to do them out of choice,” she said.
Palmer’s mindset echoes that of billionaires like Warren Buffett, who still lives in the same $31,000 home he bought in 1958, and Mitzi Perdue, heiress to major fortunes, who rents her apartment and proudly lives simply. Mark Cuban, too, maintained a student lifestyle even after making millions.
Wealth, for Palmer and others, isn’t about appearances—it’s about smart, sustainable living.