Additional Coverage:
Ben Affleck’s son, Samuel, recently learned a valuable lesson about money – having a famous dad doesn’t mean you can have everything. Thirteen-year-old Samuel was eyeing a pair of $6,000 Dior Air Jordan 1s at a sneaker convention, a moment captured by the Got Sole Instagram account.
While Samuel may have thought the pricey sneakers were within reach, Affleck quickly reminded him who was footing the bill. “He goes, ‘We have the money,’” Affleck recounted on “TODAY”.
“I was like, ‘I have the money. You’re broke!’”
While Affleck clearly loves his kids and wants the best for them, he also believes in setting boundaries. He explained on “Jenna & Friends” that giving children everything they want does them a “disservice”.
Affleck, who also shares daughters Violet, 19, and Seraphina (Fin), 16, with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, pointed out that his older daughters both have jobs. Violet, a freshman at Yale, is working while seeking a summer internship, and Fin has a typical teenage job working in a shop.
As for Samuel? He’s facing the reality of his own (lack of) funds, and realizing those fancy shoes aren’t just going to magically appear in his closet.
Affleck joked that while Samuel does have shoes, they’re not the “crazy, expensive fancy shoes” he desires. Affleck’s solution?
Hard work. “If you want that, you can work 1,000 hours at minimum wage,” he quipped, adding, “and if you work 1,000 hours, you might not want to spend it on a pair of shoes.”
On a lighter note, Affleck also shared a bit of friendly family competition with “TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Both he and Violet are Spanish speakers, and apparently, Violet thinks her Spanish is superior. Affleck playfully took the opportunity to declare himself the victor, saying, “She will tell me that hers is better than mine… And I’m glad that I get the chance to be on national television and just claim victory!”