Buy, Borrow, (Never) Die

Compare funding your lifestyle by extracting taxed dividends from a holding company versus borrowing against its shares and never realizing a gain.

How big does the fortune need to be?

To borrow 700 000 kr/year forever without ever breaching a 50.0 % loan-to-value limit, the holding company needs to be worth at least 7 232 031 kr today. The loan-to-value ratio peaks around year 15, then falls forever after — the strategy gets safer with time.

Dividend-funded (Scenario A)

Final net worth
1 714 706 234 kr
Cumulative tax paid
17 045 045 kr
Effective rate vs. wealth growth
0.8 %

Debt-funded (Scenario B)

Final net worth
2 178 402 936 kr
Cumulative tax paid
0 kr
Effective rate vs. wealth growth
0.0 %

Net worth over time

Loan-to-value ratio (Scenario B)