Canadian billionaire Kevin O'Leary calls Gen Z 'idiots' for wasting money on coffee and sandwiches

Canadian billionaire Kevin O’Leary has blasted "idiots" Gen-Z workers for “pissing away” their money on a daily cup of coffee and sandwiches. Shark Tank investor and businessman, who doesn't mince his words, discussed the "stupid stuff" people spend their money on. “Stop buying coffee for $5.50. You got to work and spend $15 on a sandwich – what are you, an idiot?” Mr O’Leary said in a clip shared to Instagram. “It costs you 99 cents to make a sandwich at home and bring it with you. Bring your own water, own drink or your own coffee mug."

He shared an important tip for investments for the youngsters in his latest piece of advice and asked them to save and invest this amount instead. According to him, these small everyday indulgences add up to thousands of dollars annually, which could compound into significant wealth over time.

ALSO READ: Meta employee laid off after 10 years shares heartbreaking post


Kevin O’Leary also noted that many young professionals spend nearly $5.50 on coffee and around $15 on sandwiches every day, adding up to more than $5,000 a year. He called these expenses “stupid stuff” that quietly eats away at long-term financial growth. According to him, investing that same amount consistently could turn into millions over time through the power of compounding.



“We’re often told that making your breakfast at home or having cereal at the office are some of the easiest ways to save a bit of cash,” he noted.

ALSO READ: Bengaluru rain update

An important tip on financial discipline

According to Kevin O’Leary, financial discipline is one of the biggest factors in building long-term wealth. He believes young professionals can move closer to financial independence by reducing unnecessary daily spending and investing those savings into diversified portfolios and index funds. O’Leary argues that learning how to invest early in life is far more rewarding than prioritising short-term lifestyle habits and impulse spending.

However, critics argue that rising housing costs, healthcare expenses, student debt, and inflation place a much heavier financial burden on Gen Z and millennials than everyday purchases like coffee or sandwiches. They say O’Leary’s comments oversimplify the economic pressures faced by younger workers dealing with stagnant wages and soaring living costs.

Kevin O’Leary warns US could fall behind China in AI race

Recently, Kevin O’Leary also sounded an alarm over America’s ability to maintain its dominance in artificial intelligence. In a post shared on social media platform X, O’Leary claimed the United States lacks the infrastructure needed to support the next phase of the AI boom.

He pointed out that while AI-driven productivity has helped push the S&P 500 to record highs across all 11 sectors in recent years, the country’s power infrastructure has failed to keep pace. Comparing the US with China, O’Leary said Beijing added nearly 500 gigawatts of power capacity over the past 24 months, while the US made little progress.

“Here’s our problem… We have no power,” O’Leary said, warning that America may struggle to support the massive energy demands of AI data centres without major upgrades to its electricity grid.

Apart from infrastructure concerns, O’Leary also criticised current US economic policies. He warned investors not to expect significant relief from interest rates while Jerome Powell remains chair of the Federal Reserve. He further argued that tariffs continue to fuel inflationary pressure across the economy.