30-year-old man refuses to loan $15,000 to 33-year-old cousin's budding food truck business, family tries to guilt-trip him due to his success: "I thought you'd be more generous than that"

Author image for Ely Bulnes
Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Jul 1, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

One of my red flags is that when I watch any reality TV show, I somehow convince myself that I would do really well. Even though I'm barely 5 foot 2 on a good day, I'm sure that I would at least be a finalist on America's Next Top Model. Even though I have only been camping once or twice, I know that I would fare just fine on Survivor. I'm not even remotely close to a professional pastry chef, but I've never burned brownies or made a banana bread that my boyfriend wouldn't eat. Thus, I'm pretty confident that I'd make it pretty far in The Great British Baking Show.

In our story today, a man in his 30s has seen almost every episode of Shark Tank, and now, he's completely convinced that he can start his own business. All he's missing is a $15, 000 startup fee. Too bad his confidence alone isn't enough to convince his well-off cousin to loan him the cash.

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  • 01

    Refused to 'invest' in my cousin's business idea, now my aunt says I'm selfish for not helping family.

    "It's not like you'd miss that money. You're doing fine." KEA WE H W
    via Kampus Production from Pexels

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    It's been quite a journey, and I've been soaking up all the stories and advice here. Now I find myself in a situation where I could really use some outside perspectives. So, I'm a 30-year-old guy working in
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    IT, and I make a decent living. I'm not rolling in cash or anything, but I've been pretty careful with my money over the years. I graduated with student loan debt, spent way too long living in cheap apartments, and drove my old Civic until it barely ran. Slowly but
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    surely, I built up my savings and emergency fund. I finally bought a modest home last year, which is nothing fancy, and I still live pretty simply. I don't post flashy vacations or talk about money much, but I guess word gets around in the family when you buy a house and stop stressing over bills.
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  • 05
    Recently, my cousin Brandon, who's 33, reached out to me. He wanted to talk about a business opportunity. We're not super close. We see each
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    other at family events and follow each other on Instagram, but we don't hang out regularly. Still, I figured he wanted some advice or maybe to network.
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  • 07
    Well, turns out I was wrong. He pitched this idea for a food truck that would sell what he called elevated fair food. Think deep-fried
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    mac and cheese b lls, gourmet corn dogs, and loaded funnel cakes. I'll admit, I laughed a little. Not in a mean way, but because it came out of nowhere, and I honestly thought he was joking.
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  • 09
    But nope, he was de d serious. He said it was his dream and he'd been thinking about it for years but just never had the cash to get it going. Then he dropped this on me: "I figured maybe you'd want to help me out. Like an investor."
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    Cheezburger Image 10523353600
    via Nataliya Kovtun from Getty Images

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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    I asked what that meant, and he said he needed about $15,000 for equipment and permits. So I asked if he had a business plan, any numbers,
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    projections, or anything like that. He said no, not yet, but he knew this would pop off. He had watched every season of Shark Tank and felt confident he knew what customers wanted.
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    I told him I wasn't comfortable handing over that kind of money, especially without a clear plan. I wasn't ride. I respected his hustle, but I've worked really hard to get to a stable place, and I'm trying to save for the future, not play angel investor for family.
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  • 14
    He went quiet for a moment and then said something like, " generous than that." I, I thought you'd be more
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    A few days later, I got a call from his mom, my aunt, and she was not happy. She said Brandon felt humiliated and that I made him feel small. I told her I
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    was polite but that I just don't loan out big chunks of money. She called me selfish and said family should support each other, especially when they're in a position to help.
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    Then she hit me with the kicker. She said, "It's not like you'd miss that money. You're doing fine."
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    I reminded her that I get to decide what to do with the money I worked hard for. She said I've changed since getting a good job and that Brandon is just
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    trying to do something with his life. I pointed out that this is the first time I've ever said no to anyone in the family financially, and now I'm the bad guy?
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    My mom, who's his aunt on the other side, told me she understood why I said no but suggested I could've offered something small just to support
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    him a little. Honestly, I don't want to set that precedent. Once money gets involved in family dynamics, it never ends well.
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    Now, Brandon hasn't spoken to me since, and apparently, he told my uncle I crushed his dream for no reason.
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  • 23
    AITAH for refusing to give my cousin $15,000 for a business idea I don't believe in, even though I technically could afford it?
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    10 10
    via Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Our protagonist isn't even completely against loaning the money; it's just that his cousin has no idea what he's doing and is incapable of providing any proof that he's put real thought into this business venture.

  • 25
    Soggy_College1367 NTA, he had No business plan!! Where'd he get his figures? Does he even know how to cook? This sounds like a great way to lose money.
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  • 26
    OfSpock What money? OP just bought a house. It needs new electrical work/plumbing/foundations/ anything not visible but costly. He might not want
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    to admit it (except to Aunt Blabbermouth in strictest confidence) but he is actually house poor but was too embarrassed to say that to his cousin.
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  • 28
    Kebar8 100 percent ! What's the price of the materials, what's the profit margin let item, what's the cost of staff, where is he going to park the truck? Fairs and markets or an ongoing spot? Thees 101 questions that need answering before he starts investing cash into it!
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  • This is the sort of thing that our protagonist wanted to see and hear. Instead, his cousin brought up the many hours he has spent watching Shark Tank.

  • 29
    Miles_01_2 Right? Watching Shark Tank isn't the same as actually running a business.
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  • 30
    Talmaska Without a business plan I would never consider it. Even with one, mixing money and family is a bad idea. NTA.
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  • 31
    Used Clock_4627 Okay, admittedly never watched Shark Tank, BUT I'm pretty sure ANYONE on that program had to do a CROP TON of research/planning/work to make their ideas good enough to get a spot on the program.
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  • 32
    This cousin just watched a show and somehow thought that made him an expert in business???? As the saying goes: Make it make sense.
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  • 33
    OP, NTA. BUT I do recommend you keep your financials to yourself from now on. Anyone asks, you rent.
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  • 34
    Debbie0357 Let him get his money from his parents. You are not the AH. Remember you got what you have through hard work, savings and determination. Let other folks do the same don't be guilt tripped into anything.
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  • 35
    SoftwareMaintenance Yeah. If they believe in this idea, they should be ready to fund it already. They are his parents after all. Tell them to stop crushing their son's dreams.
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  • 36
    BestConfidence1560 I have a friend who runs a food truck. First of all I don't know where $15,000 came in because I guarantee you he has 100,000 in it.
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    Cheezburger Image 10523353344
    via Maica from Getty Images Signature

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 38
    He makes a good living at it. But he is out working every fair, every marathon, every weekend every night. During the day he has to do all the prep work and get the food ready.
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    He also has to coordinate with permits to be able to sell this, and work with places that will allow him spots so he can sell this stuff. All of that should've been in a business plan.
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  • 40
    Myst21256 NTA You could always tell them you will match what everyone of them invests. I'm sure that will shut them up. They don't want to risk money and clearly he also is doing nothing to save up or work extra
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Tags

reality show family drama AITAH relationships restaurant parenting aunt love entitled family boundaries business money cousins entitled people television
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