Vicki Belo built one of the most successful beauty empires in the Philippines, but when it comes to money, there’s one thing she would do differently.
“My rule was spend half, save half,” Belo says. “But honestly, maybe spending half was a bit too much.”
As the founder and CEO of Belo Medical Group, Belo has always been financially independent. She made her own money, and she wasn’t afraid to enjoy it. “I shop and I shop, but I’m happy,” she laughs.
But looking back, she says she wishes she had saved more—not for the excitement of wealth, but for financial stability. “If I could redo my life, I would buy property, not stocks,” she admits.
Belo loved the thrill of the stock market, but she now sees real estate as the more reliable long-term investment. “Stocks are exciting—you watch them go up and down. I make money, but not much. If I had bought property, I would be so rich.”
Despite her spending habits, Belo has always been mindful of her children’s financial future—but not in the way most wealthy parents are. “I don’t want my kids to feel like, ‘I have money, baby. I don’t need to work,’” she says.
She made sure they would have enough to live comfortably, but she wants them to create their own value, not just inherit wealth.
If she could rewrite her money rules, Belo says she would have saved three-fourths instead of half—but at the same time, she has no regrets.
“I like to just keep money in the bank and look at it—oh, I have money, haha!” she jokes. “But I’m happy with how I did it.”
For Belo, financial success isn’t just about saving—it’s about finding the balance between security and enjoying what you’ve worked for.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
