A San Francisco-based tech CEO has triggered a chatter on social media after he revealed he declined his wife's request for a vacation despite having nearly $10 million in retirement savings. Kevin Xu, the CEO of Alpha AI and a Stanford graduate, posted a screenshot on X, showing the stark divide between his long-term savings and liquid cash. While his 401(k) retirement account sits at a staggering $9.8 million, his checking and savings accounts contain just $3,000 and $296, respectively. In a humorous post, Xu shared a mock conversation with his wife, saying, “Her: Let’s go on vacation. Me: I’m broke.” He added that many don’t grasp the complexities of wealth tied up in retirement accounts versus having spendable cash. “Few understand this struggle,” he wrote, highlighting the difficulty of feeling cash-poor while technically being a multimillionaire. According to his X bio, Xu has a total net worth of $10.9 million. Still, the viral post sparked a wave of online reactions, with some criticising his financial planning. See the viral post here: 401k $9.8mil Checking $3000 Savings $296 Wife - Let's go on vacation? Me - Can't, we're broke. Few understand. pic.twitter.com/yreMjAtPvA — Kevin Xu (@imkevinxu) September 28, 2025 With over 17 million views, the post sparked a wave of reactions. "Buy yourself a vacation that includes one of those timeshare presentations and it’ll be like 20% of the normal price," a user said. "you're not managing your money and life correctly if you have a $10M net worth and are telling your wife you can't go on vacation," another user commented. "Sounds like your already broke spiritually & mentally. Imagine being 8 figures and not enjoying a holiday with your wife," a third user reacted. "If real I feel sorry for your wife. Can’t imagine elevating net worth above life experience," a fourth user commented.
