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Danny Robins, the creator behind the hit BBC show and podcast Uncanny and the acclaimed play 2.22 A Ghost Story, has built a successful career exploring the paranormal. In this interview, Danny Robins discusses his financial journey, offering insights into his approach to money, career choices, and investments.
Navigating Finances: Lessons Learned from Childhood
Reflecting on his upbringing, Robins explains that his parents’ inconsistent financial habits, stemming from his father’s overspending and their careers as an academic and teacher, shaped his own views on money. He aspired to a career where effort directly translated to financial reward, valuing control and the tangible outcome of his creative work.
Early Career Success and Financial Setbacks
Robins recounts experiencing early financial success shortly after university. At 21, he and his college peers secured a commission for the spoof series “We Are History,” leading to a period of substantial income. By 2000, his earnings reached £60,000. However, a shift in his career path, moving away from comedy writing, led to a financial downturn in his thirties. He recalls a time when he had to transfer a minimal sum from savings to keep his current account active, highlighting a period of financial constraint.
Supernatural Success: Danny Robins, the mind behind “2.22 A Ghost Story” and “Uncanny”
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Expenditure Priorities: Experiences Over Possessions
When it comes to spending, Robins prioritizes experiences and shared moments over material possessions. He expresses a preference for spending on holidays and dining experiences, such as a memorable birthday celebration at the Savoy Grill for his wife. He attributes his lack of interest in shopping to the demands of his writing career, which occupies much of his time and focus.
Biggest Financial Misstep: Late Pension Planning
Robins identifies delaying pension contributions as his most significant financial mistake. As a freelancer, he acknowledges the critical importance of long-term financial planning, a step he neglected for many years. Despite starting to invest in his pension later in his career, he recognizes the challenge of compensating for lost time. He credits his wife for managing their financial planning, admitting his own difficulty with financial matters, humorously describing it as “financial dyslexia” when it comes to tasks like understanding tax returns.
Smartest Money Move: Property Investments
Purchasing his first home is cited as his best financial decision. Early in his career, he invested in a flat in Camden, near the Hawley Arms pub. Fortuitously, the area rapidly gained popularity, boosting his property value. He repeated this pattern with another property in Kentish Town. In 2012, he was able to purchase and renovate a house in Walthamstow. Robins attributes his property success more to luck than strategic financial planning.
Property Portfolio: Current Holdings and Future Aspirations
Currently, Robins and his wife own just their family home. His wife desires a summer house in Sweden, closer to her family, and Robins expresses a longing for a seaside property. However, he mentions that recent extensive house renovations have temporarily put further property investments on hold.
Stock Market Investments: A Cautious Approach
Robins engages with the stock market solely through his pension investments and adopts a cautious approach. They have opted for a low-risk investment strategy, prioritizing ethical investments in environmentally conscious ventures. He explains that a turning point arrived in 2021 with the success of “The Battersea Poltergeist” and “2.22 A Ghost Story,” dramatically improving his financial situation after years of uncertainty.
Financial Peak: Recent Success in Paranormal Entertainment
The preceding year marked the pinnacle of Robins’ financial life. “2.22 A Ghost Story” achieved international success, touring across five continents, the UK, and London’s West End. Despite a five-year writing period, the play now generates royalties, highlighting the financial rewards of his foray into paranormal storytelling. He quips, “Some people found God, I found ghosts,” acknowledging the unexpected financial blessings derived from his supernatural themes.
Chancellor’s Perspective: Bridging the Wealth Gap
If appointed Chancellor, Robins states his primary focus would be to reduce the disparity between the wealthy and the less fortunate, without penalizing affluence. He draws a comparison to Sweden, where high taxes are more accepted due to a perceived return of societal benefits. He suggests that public dissatisfaction with taxes in his own country stems from a lack of confidence in their effective allocation.
Charitable Contributions: Giving Back
Robins actively supports charitable causes, including the George Oliver Foundation, established in memory of his friend’s son, and the Walthamstow Eat or Heat food bank.
Top Financial Priority: Securing Children’s Future
His paramount financial priority is his children’s future. He voices concern about the challenges faced by younger generations in entering the property market and the escalating costs of higher education, contrasting it with the financial support he received during his own university years.
- Catch Danny Robins’ “Uncanny: Fear Of The Dark” tour starting this September: tiltedco.com/uncanny-fear-of-the-dark. For “2:22 A Ghost Story” tickets, visit 222aghoststory.com/uk-tour-tickets.