The idea that a single windfall can solve every problem is a persistent fantasy in America. We imagine that if the person sleeping under the bridge just had a few thousand dollars, they could rent an apartment, buy a suit and rejoin the workforce. It is a comforting thought because it suggests that poverty is merely a lack of cash.
A documentary titled “Reversal of Fortune” tested this theory in the mid-2000s. Filmmakers found a homeless man named Ted Rodrigue in Pasadena, essentially handed him $100,000 with no strings attached and waited to see if a six-figure check could rewrite a lifetime of habits.
A clean financial slate
Ted was living a…
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