Why Were Harry's Parents SO Rich? - Harry Potter Explained

Welcome to Harry Potter Theory. Today we’re discussing HOW on earth Harry Potter's parents amassed such an incredible amount of wealth. How is it that Harry’s vault was absolutely bursting at the seams from galleons when the vault of an entire family (the Weasley’s) had but just one single galleon.

We’re also going to be looking at why Rowling made the decision to make Harry as wealthy as he was.

When the Philosopher’s Stone was first released- we got our first look into the contents of Harry’s vault (vault 687) when Hagrid escorts him to Gringotts:

Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside were mounds of gold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze Knuts.

"All yours," smiled Hagrid.

And from the first time I read that passage, I became fascinated with Harry’s immense fortune. How did he get it? How much was there? And what did these immense stacks of gold coins look like?

Fortunately, this scene was brought to life on-screen in the release of the Philosopher’s Stone in 2001- and it allowed us to finally witness, with our own eyes, exactly what Harry would have seen when he first stepped foot in vault 687.

I’d also like to point out that this scene was preceded by Harry asking:

“But, Hagrid, how am I to pay for all this? I haven't any money.”

Oh, Harry.

So again I ask- WHERE ON EARTH did Harry’s parents (who were just 21 years old when they died) get all of this gold to leave for Harry?

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[HarryPotterTheory]

Thanks for watching folks! What video next? Leave a comment down below! ALSO check out my 3 latest videos:

[MrMitchbow]

I love how the Weasleys never ever ask Harry for anything despite one of the first things Ron learned about him was that he was immensely rich and irresponsible

[barbiquearea]

If I recall the Potters also married into the Black family twice in their linage, and they were rich AF. Since it was the Potter men who took brides from this extremely wealthy clan, I don't think its out of the question that the Blacks may have given the Potters a large dowry for both marriages.

[Satchel]

I never realized Harry's parents were only 21 when they died. The actors they used for Harry's parents in the movie were definitely older than 21.

[JordanIdk]

I think it provides a great contrast with Ron.

Harry has ridiculous amounts of money, but no family.
Ron has a huge family, but no money.

Both kinda desire what the other has, it does a great job of showing both sides of wealth.

[StarGeezerTim]

Additionally Sirius named Harry as his sole beneficiary in his Will. After he died the vast Black estate went to Harry. One would presume this not only included 12 Grimmauld Place and it's contents, but also any cash or items held within the Black's family vaults at Gringotts. Suffice to say, Harry and his family never had to worry about financial solvency.

[adambrowning]

I always assumed that with the death of Voldemort by the Boy who lived, that wizards and witches from all over sent whatever they could to the Potter vault to support the newly orphaned Harry. Never occurred to me that he was heir to the first pharmaceutical company of the Wizarding world.

[ihaveacar]

He also gets the invisibility cloak, which presumably has been passed from eldest son to eldest son to eldest son through the generations going back to one of the most powerful wizards of all time nearly 1000 years ago. Usually family fortunes, titles, land, etc.. also goes to the eldest and I'd assume the branch of the family coming from the "wisest" of the Deathly Hallow creators probably weren't poor through the ages.

[dellcoc]

The bigger question is why Harry constantly forgot that he was rich throughout the series. His money could have helped them numerous times (especially Ron).

[DivineKnight_]

What’s funny is the potters are all famous master potion makers. Lily though married into the potter family was a very gifted potion maker to the degree that she was on top of Slughorns favorites list. Another tragedy from both her and James’ deaths is that we won’t ever get to see what genius products they could’ve invented adding even more to the family fortune.

[CRACKERJACK]

So you're telling me that Harry, who was not the best with potions, was the heir to the wizard equivalent of a pharmaceutical company? Why does this make me love it more?

[LeCharles]

Harry's first class with Snape gives a whole different feel when you realize he's essentially berating Harry because Harry's disconnected from the Potter family legacy.

[Real_MisterSir]

I've always seen it as the fact that Harry has such enormous wealth just fingertips away, helps establish him as a genuine person of integrity who solves his own issues and doesn't take shortcuts to gain advantages - it helps create that crevasse between him and Malfoy, where Malfoy is the polar opposite, he has wealth just like Harry, and he has his father's influence, and he uses it actively whenever anything goes slightly against him. This contrast solidifies Harry and why he's in Gryffindor, why he acts how he does, why he is who he is. He grew up with nothing, and has learned to live without the need of easy problem-solvers such as family wealth. He doesn't take the easy way out, even if it is perfectly accessible to him at all times.

[tankdogization]

It’s interesting to think about how little Harry had to worry about after defeating Voldemort. Wealth came from his parents and Sirius. Property in the Wizard World was passed down from Sirius as well. All at 17 years old.

[mayamartin]

This adds so much richness to Snape’s backstory and I wish that was covered here!

- Lily was talented with potions and married into a potions fortune (another commenter mentioned that any or all of that might’ve motivated Snape to get good with them)

- so Severus not only lost the girl to the rich boy, but also ended up teaching the relevant subject in school, and then Harry comes along - he knew this kid may well have been the next Potter ingenue and he’d have the chance to help nurture Lily’s boy in that, but he still chose to put him down and keep Harry’s family history secret from him.

[TheEvertw]

I love this bit in the Potter backstory. Makes one wonder if James taunted Snape with being the child of a successful potion master, and how that could have motivated Snape to double-down on potions. Oh, lovely speculations...

[barrettbritt]

I always thought Harry’s wealth was a really strong juxtaposition between the life Harry knew and then the new wizarding world. Since he had so little (both in terms of money and belongings as whole) with the Dursley’s, his unknown wealth added a lot to the change between his muggle life and his life as a wizard when I read the books for the first time

[barbiquearea]

On top of the royalties he would have received from his grandfather's potion recipe, I imagine the Potter fortune might have been put into a trust with a respected trustee put in charge of properly investing this money to grow the fortune so that Harry would have a tidy nest egg once he enters the Wizarding World.

[sarahlynn]

Most of the Death Eaters were members of the Scared 28, and I've always wondered if maybe some of Harry's fortune came from fines and restitution payments that the Death Eaters had to pay the Ministry as part of their sentencing terms. I'm not sure how advanced the Wizarding government would be with that type of thing, but they could have taken a percentage of each payment and put it in Harry's account? Or divided it up among the other victims? And Lucius Malfoy probably paid off the Ministry so he wouldn't be sent to Azkaban, along with his claim that he was under the imperius curse...Maybe others did that as well and the Ministry took portions of those to go to Voldemort's victims as well?

[UndeadAaronGames]

For 21 years old Harry's parents sure look 40, not being ageist, I just think it was an unusual casting choice.