I raised my boy in a cockroach-infested flat but he was a millionaire by 24… now he treats me to £8k a night hotel rooms
A MUM who was forced to raise her son in a cockroach-infested home had revealed how she now leads a luxury lifestyle thanks to her son.
Devoted Rene Lacad has spent more than £500,000 treating his mother as a mark of gratitude for the 18 years she spent raising him and his brother single-handedly.
Growing up, Rene’s mother Pamela struggled to make ends meet after his father walked out on the family when he was one.
After making his fortune in social media marketing becoming a millionaire by the age of 24, the 28-year-old said his “top priority” has always been to look after his mother.
WHAT A TURNAROUND
Since 2019 he has spent £100,000 fixing her house as well as a further £400,000 treating her to trips to Brazil, Miami, Spain and Napa Valley. Trips to Hawaii and Africa are in the pipeline.
“I’ve spent over $650,000 (£500,000) which might sound like a lot of money but in my eyes, it’s not a huge amount to repay someone who spent 18 years raising you,” he said in this exclusive interview.
“She’s extremely grateful because for her a lot of this stuff doesn’t feel real.
“I feel the same sometimes and when I see the look on her face I can see she’s thinking ‘is this a dream?’
“It’s not and I want her to continue taking care of her for the rest of her life.
“I’ve offered to retire her but she’s so close to getting her pension that she doesn’t want to.
“So I have to get creative with how I treat her – Hawaii is her next trip and then maybe somewhere in Africa – who knows?”
FOREVER GRATEFUL
Speaking about her son, Pamela said: “I’m so grateful for everything Rene has done for me – he would make any mother proud.
“I always dreamed of travelling when the kids were small but was never able to afford it.
“I’m happy that he is in a better situation thanks to his hard work and appreciate him so much for treating me the way he does.”
Whenever he sends his mother away, he always ensures she is treated to extreme luxury and splashes out on first-class flights, five-star accommodation and guided tours.
This saw him spend £40,000 on the trip to Europe, while her three-week trip to Brazil cost £100,000 and saw her given luxury guided tours and treated to spa days at £8,000-a-night five-star hotels in Rio De Janiero and San Paulo.
ROUGH START
Rene was born in Los Angeles, California 18 months before his younger brother Ray, 27, to immigrant parents from the Philippines.
At the time, his mother was working as a poorly-paid bookkeeper and was in such dire financial straits when his father left that she had to send her younger son Ray back to the Philippines to be looked after by his grandmother for four years.
Over time she qualified as a corporate accountant and earned enough to enable them to move to a modest 1300 sq ft house in West Covina, California where Rene spent most of his formative years.
I’m a big momma’s boy and that will always be the case
Rene Lacad
Despite this, the family never had money for vacations and Rene went on a plane once before the age of 19 to see his grandmother in the Philippines before she sadly passed away.
Initially, his mother pushed him to become an engineer and the pair fell out badly when he dropped out of studying the subject at Mt Sac Community College in 2013 to become a car salesman.
UNEXPECTED SUCCESS
The pair didn’t speak for almost a year but reconnected when Rene started to make money doing social media marketing for other companies.
His success quickly snowballed and he was a millionaire by the age of 24. Now aged 28, married to Caro Viee with a baby on the way, Rene’s focus has shifted hugely towards his family.
After spending £100,000 fixing, updating and building a rental property at his mother’s house to give her a passive income, he is now focused on treating her every way he can.
He also keeps a room for her at his £16,700-a-month Miami penthouse so she can stay whenever she wants.
“I’m a big momma’s boy and that will always be the case,” he said.
“When I was 24 it was all about partying, traveling and women but I’m older now and my priorities have changed.
“I want to focus on my family and the things that truly matter. I’m also big on repaying my mom for everything she did for me and my brother.
“That’s a big thing and I’m so blessed to be able to treat her the way she deserves to be.”