The Double Life of Eddie the Monkey Man

The idea that many panhandlers are secretly wealthy is, I'm sure, just an urban myth. But in the case of Eddie Bernstein, aka Eddie the Monkey Man, the myth was a reality. Bernstein spent half of each year on the streets of Washington DC, begging for money, often accompanied by his pet monkey. The other half of the year he spent in Florida where he was a well-off businessman. When he died in 1979 he was worth around $700,000, which is over $3 million in today's money. Why did he spend half of each year panhandling if he didn't need to? According to his banker, it was simply "a lifelong habit." More info: Pet Cemetery Stories, Time (Mar 12, 1979) Eddie Bernstein in Washington DC - Dec 17, 1972. (source: Pet Cemetery Stories) The Olympian - Mar 4, 1979

twrlz

Oct 9, 2025 - 12:00

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The idea that many panhandlers are secretly wealthy is, I'm sure, just an urban myth. But in the case of Eddie Bernstein, aka Eddie the Monkey Man, the myth was a reality.

Bernstein spent half of each year on the streets of Washington DC, begging for money, often accompanied by his pet monkey. The other half of the year he spent in Florida where he was a well-off businessman. When he died in 1979 he was worth around $700,000, which is over $3 million in today's money.

Why did he spend half of each year panhandling if he didn't need to? According to his banker, it was simply "a lifelong habit."

More info: Pet Cemetery Stories, Time (Mar 12, 1979)

Eddie Bernstein in Washington DC - Dec 17, 1972. (source: Pet Cemetery Stories)