Mom, 32, Says Wealthy Boss Died and Left Her $1.25 Million In His Will — Dave Ramsey Says Slow Down. 'This Is Not a Woo-Hoo, I Hit The Lottery Moment'

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Mom, 32, Says Wealthy Boss Died and Left Her $1.25 Million In His Will — Dave Ramsey Says Slow Down. 'This Is Not a Woo-Hoo, I Hit The Lottery Moment'

Caroline Lubinsky

Thu, December 18, 2025 at 10:54 AM EST

4 min read

When people call "The Ramsey Show," they're usually broke, panicked, and praying for a miracle. But Corey's call was different. The 32-year-old single mom wasn't looking for help scraping by—she was trying to figure out what to do with $1.25 million.

Her boss had died—and left her in his will.

Dave Ramsey's first words: "That's an unusual arrangement."

Corey had been a personal assistant for eight years to a wealthy contractor. She handled his scheduling, managed his properties, and even joined him and his family—including his wife—on vacations. When he passed away, it was his wife who called Corey to deliver the news: she'd inherited $1.25 million.

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Now unemployed and raising four kids on her own—ages 15, 4, 3, and just under a year—Corey turned to Ramsey not for celebration, but for guidance. "I couldn't believe it," she said, explaining that she used to earn $65,000 and still lived paycheck to paycheck.

Ramsey didn't downplay the weight of the situation. "This is not a ‘woo-hoo, I hit the lottery' moment," he told her. "And I don't hear that in your voice. I hear a little bit of fear, a little bit of grief still from your friend passing away, and a little bit of shock and awe."

He laid it out straight: "Someone just handed you $1.25 million to manage. That's your new job. And you don't know how to do it."

So he told her how.

Step one: Move slowly. No sudden moves, no quick decisions, and absolutely no urgency. "Where people make mistakes when they don't know what they're doing," Ramsey said, "is they go too fast."

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Step two: Build a team. That means forming your own personal board of advisers—not to babysit, but to educate and guide. Ramsey recommended starting with a tax adviser, a real estate pro, and a seasoned investment adviser who could help her understand how to live off the returns—not the principal. He advised buying a modest home in cash and keeping her expenses low.

"You're not going to live paycheck to paycheck anymore," he said. "You're going to tell every dollar what to do."

And while Corey's windfall came from a rare act of generosity, Ramsey's advice applies across the board. Whether someone inherits $1.25 million or builds up savings the slow way, the key is still the same: be intentional, get advice, and don't rush.

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Even for those without an inheritance, some of the same strategies apply. Investing in real estate—through fractional platforms or REITs—can help everyday people generate passive income. But like Corey, it starts with a plan. And consulting a financial adviser before making big moves can be the difference between building wealth or watching it vanish.

"You've got to get up on top of this thing," Ramsey told her, "or you're going to live with that horrible taste on the back of your tongue called regret."

Corey didn't call in with a shopping list or a vacation plan. She called in scared, serious, and ready to do the right thing. Which is probably why her boss trusted her with that money in the first place.

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This article Mom, 32, Says Wealthy Boss Died and Left Her $1.25 Million In His Will — Dave Ramsey Says Slow Down. 'This Is Not a Woo-Hoo, I Hit The Lottery Moment' originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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