Billionaire Boy

Joe Spud is the protagonist of Billionaire Boy and a round character. He is a 12-year-old boy, who lives in Britain with his dad, Mr. Spud, a famous toilet paper inventor. Because of his father’s invention of a semi-moist toilet paper called Bumfresh, Joe is the wealthiest child in Britain. At the beginning of the story, Joe lives a life of luxury with his father in their massive home, Bumfresh Towers, where Joe has all kinds of incredible toys and hobbies, from car racetracks to robot dogs and waterslides. However, Joe’s background as a working-class kid means that he does not fit in with his wealthy “old money” peers at his private school, St. Cuthbert’s. Joe is constantly bullied, making him lonely and upset, in need of a friend.

Joe is described as an overweight kid who loves sweets and has the money to buy as many of them as he wants. His favorite sweet is chocolate, which helps him bond with his new friend, Bob, who also has a sweet tooth. The story’s simple illustrations depict Joe in casual clothes with messy hair and big pink cheeks. While the author describes Joe as a “horribly spoilt kid” because of his luxurious lifestyle, the story also portrays Joe as particularly insightful for his age (14).