Jackie Chan Admits to Squandering Wealth and Drunk Driving in His Youth

In Jackie Chan’s (成龍) newly released autobiography, titled Jackie Chan: Got Old Before Growing Up <成龍：還沒長大就老了>, he shares about his 61 years of experience, including his sudden burst to fame as a young man and his subsequent experience as a millionaire.

Renowned as a martial arts star, Jackie first made a name for himself with the 1978 films Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow <蛇形刁手> and Drunken Master <醉拳>, which were released when the actor was just 24 years old. In his new book, Jackie admits that because he became a millionaire almost overnight, he ended up squandering much of his newfound wealth.

“I was a rustic fellow who had never done much studying, and suddenly, in one night, I had 10 million HKD,” he said. “I was itching to buy everything that I had ever wanted in one week alone.”

In one instance, Jackie strolled into a watch store with $500,000 HKD in cash in his pocket. After inquiring about which watches were the most expensive and which contained the most diamonds, Jackie walked out of the store with seven brand-name watches, all paid for in cash.

Not a Single Day When Jackie Was Sober

Jackie’s autobiography also tells about the actor’s habit of drinking, and even driving while under the influence of alcohol during his youth. He shares that when he was in front of the media, it was usually after he had had something to drink.

“At one time, some media people rushed over with their cameras,” recalled Jackie. “I called some members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team to take off their jackets and cover up the car’s license plate. I even frightened them by saying that I would hit them once for every picture they took. Looking back, I came across as very aggressive and unlikable.”

Jackie Has Since Learned from Experience

Though he admittedly acted rashly in the past, Jackie is thankful that he has learned from his experiences. Now, he wishes to put more effort into charity work and meaningful ventures.

“I don’t mind when people say I’m uncultured or an upstart, because I did indeed go through those stages before,” Jackie stated. “But now, I understand how to use money where it should be used.”

Source: Sina.com

This article is written by Joanna for JayneStars.com.