Anil Bhoyrul, a British business journalist convicted in the 2006 "City Slickers" share-dealing scandal, attempted an unconventional parenting experiment to counter his three children's materialism. Concerned that Evita, Joe and Savannah had become "spoilt materialistic brats" during eight years of luxury living in Dubai, Bhoyrul and his wife Branka relocated the family to Bolivia for two years from 2018, hoping the economically disadvantaged environment would teach them the value of money.

During their time in La Paz, the children appeared to thrive in the simpler lifestyle, with Evita completing a challenging 46km mountain bike ride and Joe earning money as an ice cream seller. However, upon returning to Dubai after six years away, Bhoyrul now admits the strategy failed spectacularly: his children immediately reverted to demanding multiple iPads, iPhones and other consumer goods, undoing any lessons learned. Speaking at a book launch in London this week, he confessed that his children's response was essentially that they had "done their time" and wanted their luxuries back.