Billionaire Boy

Len Spud is a round, secondary character in the story. He is a middle-aged man, who lives in London with his son, Joe. Mr. Spud comes from a working-class background and worked in a toilet roll factory for years. His invention of Bumfresh toilet paper caused him to become a billionaire practically overnight. He and Mrs. Spud divorce, and Mr. Spud moves to Bumfresh Towers, where he extravagantly spends his fortune on himself and his son.

Mr. Spud loves being wealthy and tries to fit into the mold of how he imagines wealthy people live. For instance, he eats caviar even though he does not like it and has many servants in his home. Mr. Spud expects his wealth to solve all of his problems and bring him happiness. He tries to make Joe happy by buying him toys and bribing people to make his life easier. Mr. Spud is content with his superficial relationship with his girlfriend, Sapphire, and does not invest time or effort with Joe or any real friends. His superficial approach to life is captured in the story’s pictures, which emphasize his accessories and outrageous outfits, like toupees and expensive clothes. Over the course of the story, Mr. Spud learns how his focus on wealth has caused him to neglect his relationships, leaving him isolated, and in terrible conflict with Joe. He realizes that his fortune has caused more problems in his life and accepts his bankruptcy.

Bob is a secondary, flat character in the story. Bob is a friendly 12-year-old boy who lives in Britain and attends public school in Joe’s neighborhood. His mother is a widow and works two jobs to support the family. Like Joe, Bob is overweight and is bullied by his classmates, who have nicknamed him “Blob.’” He is also bullied by two mean twins, Dave and Sue Grubb, who often put him in garbage bins. Bob befriends Joe on his first day at school, and the two bond over being overweight, their experiences with bullies, and their love of sweets.

Bob is portrayed as a genuine friend to Joe; when he learns of Joe’s wealth, he does not care and does not want Joe’s money. However, Bob’s background as a working-class kid makes him sensitive about feeling like a “charity case,” causing him to feel upset when Joe bribes the Grubb twins to stop bullying him. Bob is a foil for Joe, and they share key qualities like personality and social status despite their different backgrounds. They also show how money can deeply influence a person’s identity. It’s a sore spot for both boys, but in different ways: Joe wants to hide his wealth while Bob wants to hide his poverty. For each, money represents the insecurities they must work through to rebuild their friendship and accept themselves for who they are.

Lauren is a secondary, flat character in the story. She is a 12-year-old actress whom Mr. Spud hires to attend Joe’s school and pretends to be his friend. She is described as warm, kind, and particularly pretty. At first, Lauren seems friendly to Joe and the other students. She is also confident and assertive. For instance, when the Grubb twins begin to bully Joe, she tells them to stop and karate kicks them. However, when she is revealed to be an actress, Lauren becomes cold and distant, immediately leaving Joe’s house. Lauren is a foil for Sapphire, Mr. Spud’s girlfriend, who only wants to be with him for his wealth. Hiring Lauren shows that Mr. Spud is trying to buy his son a girlfriend in the same way. Lauren’s presence in the story is the epitome of fake friendship, reminding Joe of the value of real friends and deepening his connection to Bob, who likes him for who he is and not his wealth.

Miss Spite is a secondary, flat character in the story. She is a middle-aged woman and a teacher at Joe and Bob’s school. In the illustrations, Miss Spite is depicted with short, dark hair, uneven eyes, a sharp pointy nose, and an evil smile. She is known for her grumpy attitude, strict demeanor, and firm classroom rules. Her students fear her and call her “the witch,” but also acknowledge that her approach is very effective as all of her students pass their exams.

Miss Spite often hands out punishments, such as making Joe pick up litter when his homework is late. Her merciless approach means that even after his dad delivers his homework by helicopter, it is five seconds late and Joe still has to do litter duty. She represents impartial justice: Joe’s wealth doesn’t give him a pass. He’s subject to the same rules as everyone else. Notably, Mrs. Spite does not ask Joe for money like other people at the school. After Miss Spite is rehired, she gives Joe “litter duty every day for the rest of his life” (278). Joe’s father paid the school to fire her, and she wants to teach Joe that this behavior is unfair.

Mr. Dust is a minor, flat character. He is the principal at Joe and Bob’s school. Mr. Dust is described as a very elderly man who is nearly 100 years old. The students nicknamed him “the tortoise” because “[h]e was very old, extremely wrinkly, and walked impossibly slowly” (107). Mr. Dust is described as “harmless enough” compared to the school’s other very strict teachers (122). However, later in the story, Joe learns that his father bribed Mr. Dust to fire Miss Spite by buying him a very expensive motorcycle. This suggests that Mr. Dust is a corrupt teacher open to bribes. While this is played up for humor, since Mr. Dust is an unlikely motorcycle enthusiast, it also shows how people can be swayed by their greed. The postscript explains that Mr. Dust is never punished for accepting a bribe, he simply retires and begins racing motorcycles.

Mrs. Trafe is a secondary, flat character in the story. The cafeteria cook at Joe’s school, Mrs. Trafe only makes awful food that the kids hate. This makes her cafeteria a safe place to hide from bullies, as none of the kids go there. Mrs. Trafe is depicted as a friendly and cheerful elderly woman, who happily serves Joe and Bob her strange cooking. In the pictures, she wears a rumpled chef’s hat and has a wrinkly face and small glasses.

While she is a good listener when Joe is upset, she is also envious of his wealth and begs him to give her money for a hip surgery. However, Mrs. Trafe’s more superficial side is revealed when she comes to school looking younger and prettier. She admits she spent the money on plastic surgery: The illustrations show the changes she paid for and depict her as much younger-looking. This suggests that while Mrs. Trafe doesn’t bully Joe the way his classmates do, she still takes advantage of Joe for his money.

Raj is a secondary, flat character in the novel. The owner of a popular corner store in the town, Raj loves selling his favorite thing in the world—candy—to all the kids who come by. As a charming shopkeeper, Raj loves to make conversation with his customers and tends to befriend them. At the beginning of the story, he is acquainted with Bob and soon strikes up a friendship with Joe. Raj’s genuine interest in Joe’s life and problems show his compassionate nature. When Joe needs help, Raj extends a hand, expecting nothing in return. While he is sometimes silly, Raj is also depicted as a wise and insightful person who gives Joe good advice, helping him to heal his broken relationships with Bob and Mr. Spud. He helps Joe understand the value of Material Riches Versus Social Wealth.