In what financial advisors are calling "the most Delaware thing that has ever happened," three members of the extended DuPont family discovered at last week's annual family meeting that they've been working regular middle-class jobs for decades while unknowingly sitting on massive trust funds.
"I've been expense-reporting my lunch for twelve years," sobbed Jennifer DuPont-Richards, 36, who works in human resources at a mid-sized pharmaceutical company. "I have a 401(k). I thought I needed it. I've been meal-prepping on Sundays."
The revelation came during the annual DuPont Family Trust distribution meeting, which the three affected individuals had apparently never attended, assuming it was "for the rich relatives." They were, in fact, the rich relatives.
"The newsletter about inheritances went out in 2012," explained family patriarch Charles DuPont III. "We assumed everyone got it. Apparently it went to spam. For all three of them. For thirteen years."
Michael DuPont-Stevens, 41, who has been working as a middle manager at a bank, said he specifically avoided asking family members for money because he "wanted to make it on his own." He now realizes he was "making it" with approximately $47 million waiting for him the entire time.
"I've been stressing about student loans," he said. "I could have paid them off in 2011. All of them. With pocket change from my trust fund. Instead I've been on an income-driven repayment plan."
The third affected family member, Sarah DuPont-Walsh, 39, works as a high school teacher. "I love my job," she explained, "but I definitely wouldn't have spent eight years getting a master's degree in education if I'd known I was already set for life. I would have gotten the degree anyway, just... with less stress-crying."
All three plan to continue working, though DuPont-Richards admitted she's "definitely going to stop bringing lunch from home." They also plan to finally visit Nemours Estate "as owners, not tourists," and perhaps consider acknowledging their last name "means something around here."
As of press time, the family's IT department was reviewing their spam filter settings and considering adding "YOU ARE WEALTHY" to the subject line of all future financial communications.