Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have taken a strong stance against the idea of leaving trust funds for their children, distancing themselves from the notion of “nepo babies.”
The term “nepo baby” has gained traction recently and is defined by dictionary.com as “a notable or powerful person, such as a celebrity or politician, with a parent who is also notable or powerful, especially one whose industry connections are perceived as essential to their success.”
Having tied the knot in 2015, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are parents to two children – Wyatt Isabel, aged 10, and Dimitri Portwood, aged 8. Despite their combined net worth, estimated at $275 million, the couple has decided against passing this wealth down to their kids.
In a 2018 discussion with Dax Shepard on the Armchair Expert podcast, Kutcher revealed that their children, Wyatt and Dimitri, would not benefit from trust funds.
Instead of leaving money to their children, the couple plans to donate their wealth to charities and other causes.
Kutcher clarified: “If my kids want to start a business, and they have a good business plan, I’ll invest in it. But they’re not getting trusts.”
While Kutcher’s comments were made several years ago, they frequently reappear in discussions about the relevance of the nepo baby label.
A user on X commented: “There was a time when families sought to build dynasties, one generation building on the accomplishments of the last. Now everyone is an atomic unit, valuable only in so far as it serves the consumerist machine. And your children? Do not spoil them lest they become worse workers.”
Another remarked: “Instead, they will leave their fortune to spoiled and entitled CEOs of nonprofits.”
Mila Kunis also shared her views on inheritance in a 2017 interview with Elle UK, expressing her desire for her children not to grow up to be ‘a**holes.’
She stated, “There’s enough a**holes in this world! We don’t need to contribute. But, you know, there’s some nice people.”
Mila further explained that in 2017, they decided to forgo Christmas gifts, stating: “We’re instituting [no presents] this year because when the kids are [younger than] one, it doesn’t really matter. Last year when we celebrated Christmas, Wyatt was two, and it was too much. We didn’t give her anything — it was the grandparents.”