Some people dream of making a fortune; others dream of marrying into one. For most of us, such dreams rarely come true, but rarer still is the person who stumbles into the lap of luxury. In one man's case, all it took was a paternity test.
To many people, finding out they’re the sole living heir of a multimillionaire seems like a fantasy straight out of a soap opera, but this is exactly what happened to 31-year-old Jordan Adlard Rogers. His journey from rags to riches is as extraordinary as it is touching.
Born Of A Night Of Passion With A Wealthy Aristocrat
The whole saga began when Jordan's mother, Julie Adlard, had a night of passion with her first boyfriend. Ironically, that single event would predestine her son to inherit not only fabulous wealth but also a prestigious heritage decades later despite the humble circumstances of his birth.
What made this dramatic turn of events possible? Julie's boyfriend was none other than Charles Rogers, a rich British aristocrat. When Julie was 20 years old, she had a short-lived fling with Charles that led to her first pregnancy. Julie was a virgin before she met Charles, so she knew he was definitely the father.
Who Was The Mystery Aristo-dad?
If we look up Charles Rogers, we'll find many men listed under this name, but the one we're interested in is neither an American football player nor a murder suspect. This Charles Rogers was the wealthy owner of a massive property in Cornwall, England, called Penrose Estate.
Charles was the son of Lieutenant Commander John Peverell Rogers, an officer of the British Navy, who died in 2012, leaving his estate to his son. Charles ignored his inherited land in the beginning, instead choosing to spend his life as a loner; he even lived on the road for a while. He never married, so he thought he had no heir.
Jordan Had A Rough Childhood, Oblivious To His Heritage
Mere weeks after Jordan was born, his mother, Julie, married Gary Galloway, a man who lived in the same neighborhood they did. Naturally, Jordan initially believed that Gary was his father. However, the marriage crumbled, and Julie soon became involved with a nomad named Buster.
For 5 years, Jordan and his mother lived in a traveling commune without proper sanitation and surrounded by violence. Jordan's education also suffered because of the nomadic lifestyle; his classmates even called him "Dumb Dumb." In the end, Julie's relationship with Buster didn't work out, either.
His Mother Was Too Poor To Support Him, So She Sent Him To His Grandparents
Leaving the commune, Jordan's mother, Julie, moved the family into a council flat only to be evicted after she agreed to an off-the-books trade with a neighbor. Eventually, Julie sent Jordan away to live with his maternal grandparents, Barbara and her third husband, John Binns.
When Jordan's grandparents took him in, his life improved a little bit under their more stable living conditions. The lovely couple resided in a mid-terrace home in Helston, Cornwall, but they also weren’t well off, so funds were still a problem. After all, they weren’t even receiving any kind of social support.
His Real Father Rejected Him When They Met For The First Time
When Jordan was 8 years old, his mother, Julie, finally told him that Charles Rogers was his biological father. A couple of years later, Julie even managed to take the 10-year-old Jordan to Charles' home so father and son could be introduced at last.
Jordan's first encounter with his father was brief and disappointing. When he knocked on the door, Jordan was greeted by a well-dressed man, his own flesh and blood. His joy was short-lived. Charles refused to recognize Jordan as his son and slammed the door shut. Nonetheless, he agreed to a DNA test, through the mediation of his legal representatives. Unfortunately, Julie never actually followed through.
Jordan Had Worked Many Odd Jobs To Survive
Despite everything he’d been through, Jordan grew up to be a kind-hearted man. In fact, his mother's previous neighbors had nothing but good things to say about her boy; one neighbor, Derek Richards, even recalled treating the young Jordan to Mars chocolate bars, his favorite candy.
But Jordan's life was no easier as an adult. Though he took various jobs, including as a Helston support worker, a disabled man’s caregiver, and a van driver for a produce company, his earnings never seemed to be enough; he always worried about making ends meet.
Next Time Jordan Visited His Father, He Found Him Ravaged By Drugs
When Jordan turned 18, he mustered the courage to visit his father, Charles, this time on his own. Upon seeing Charles again, Jordan was taken back by the decrepit condition his father was in. He could hardly recognize Charles as the sharp-looking gentleman he remembered.
At this point, Charles was so deeply mired in a drug addiction that he had become hopelessly dependent creating a downward spiral that eventually ruined his life. The landowner was not living in his mansion but in his automobile, where he was severely neglecting himself and his daily needs.
Charles Backed Out Of The DNA Test, Despite His Initial Agreement
The last time Jordan saw his father, Charles, he asked again to test for shared genes. Charles' only response was to redirect Jordan to his lawyers. But how could Jordan entangle himself in legal matters when he needed to provide for his family? Jordan's efforts to identify his father were thus stymied once more.
In his 20s, Jordan sent many letters to Charles until Philip Care, the manager of Penrose Estate, eventually replied to inform him that the aristocrat wasn't interested in taking the test. So, in 2018, Jordan wrote one last letter, sending a test kit along with it. That’s when everything changed.
Charles Died Horribly After 40 Years As A Junkie
Everyone was shocked when Charles Rogers was found dead in his car in August 2018 due to a methadone overdose. It was evident that during the last days of his life, he had neither bathed nor even changed his outfit. The man had been an addict for 40 years.
About two weeks after Charles' death, his mother, Angela Rogers, died as well. It was also around this time that Philip, the estate manager, called Jordan to tell him about his father's death and advise him that he needed to hurry with the test if he wanted to know the truth about his identity.
The Test Confirmed What Jordan Already Knew
Since his father’s relatives wanted to cremate Charles as soon as possible, Jordan really did need to follow attorney Philip's counsel and act immediately. Despite his reluctance to go through with the procedure while still in mourning for his father, Jordan had the test taken.
When the test results arrived, Jordan's suspicions were finally vindicated: he was indeed a Rogers, which also meant he was the new owner of Cornwall's magnificent 1,536-acre Penrose Estate. But for Jordan, it was never about the family fortune; he would’ve gladly given it all up just to show Charles he had a son.
Charles' Family Tried To Prevent Jordan From Claiming His Birthright
Even though Jordan is a dead ringer for his father, Charles, a family member tried to rush Charles' cremation in an attempt to stop Jordan from laying claim to Penrose Estate. This obtrusive relative forced Jordan to assert a parental declaration before Charles could be cremated.
Jordan's aunt Jan Rogers, on the other hand, was happy to hear that he received the inheritance, thus keeping the estate firmly on the Rogers side of the family. Though Jan wouldn't divulge who had challenged Jordan's claim, she assured us it was no Rogers, and it indeed turned out to be a cousin.
The Pauper-Turned-Prince Moves To His Ancestral Manor
When Jordan first entered the 20-room deluxe house passed down to him, he walked around in a daze until he came across a portrait of his father that looked just like himself. His heart ached as he gazed upon the man who never saw him as his son.
But when Jordan considered the blessings this man had given him, not only of wealth but also of belonging to a new family, he was filled with gratitude. Posting a photo of a brand-new Mercedes C63 parked outside the mansion, Jordan declared 2019 to be "the dawn of colossal new beginnings."
The $63-Million Estate That Landed On Jordan's Lap
The Rogers family has owned Penrose Estate, located between the Cornwall towns of Helston and Porthleven, since 1771. In 1974, Lieutenant Commander John Peverell Rogers, Jordan’s grandfather, gifted the estate to the National Trust in exchange for his family’s 1,000-year tenancy in Penrose House.
The 1,536-acre estate earns income from share and stock investments, as well as from renting out land to local farmers. Moreover, its gardens, holiday cottages, cafes, hiking paths, and horseback riding trails, not to mention rumors that King Arthur died there, attract tourism. But even with the influx of tourists, the expanse is tranquil.
His Girlfriend Was Now The Lady Of Penrose Manor
With the $1,300 per week that he gets as heir to the Rogers Family Trust, Jordan doesn’t have to worry about making money anymore. Keenly aware of his newfound financial freedom, he happily quit his job to live on the estate's various revenue streams.
Jordan’s especially glad to share his generous income with his partner, 30-year-old Katie Hubber. The new lord of Penrose manor even took Katie on a special trip to New York in December 2018 to celebrate their good fortune. But that's not the only great blessing the couple's received lately.
Jordan Produced A Little Heir Of His Own
In April 2019, Jordan and his girlfriend, Katie, welcomed a healthy baby boy into their lives, naming him Joshua. The blossoming mother gushed on social media about how beautiful their son is, and the excited new father quickly added a nursery to the manor house.
Another person moving into the multimillion-dollar abode is Jordan’s mother, Julie. With a newborn in the mix, why not include a family member who can help provide Joshua with all the love and attention he needs? Grandmother Barbara, on the other hand, has a completely different attitude. She just prefers to visit instead of moving in.
"The Human Cannonball" - Jordan's Accident That Went Viral. Twice.
To some of us, Jordan's face may have already been familiar, and for a good reason. In 2014, Jordan's painful accident went viral after it was caught on video. Everyone on the internet was laughing about it, but he didn’t think it was funny at all.
Calling himself the Human Cannonball, a drunken Jordan climbed a tree to leap 20 feet down onto a trampoline, which flung him against a fence and fractured his spine severely. Five years later, he’s once again gone viral, but this time no one’s laughing – except maybe Jordan.
Don't Laugh Too Hard Though... This Heir Is Buffed!
Everyone who knows Jordan also knows how much this man loves sports – especially football. In fact, after his widely known trampoline incident, he even went out the following day to play the sport. He didn’t even think to ask a for an expert’s opinion about his injury until eight days after, when he couldn’t take the pain anymore!
Before becoming the newfound aristocrat of the Penrose Estate, he already enjoyed being a weight lifter and being a footballer for a few local teams. Another thing that proves his love for the sport comes in one of his first splurges after striking it rich – his Adidas Predator football boots worth approximately $380.
There's A New Lord In The Hood And He's Making Changes
Since embracing his Rogers heritage, Jordan has decided to make the manor his own. Ever the gaming buff, Lord Jordan wasted no time installing a games room that includes a huge flat-screen TV for watching football. He also wants his own portrait to be added to the family collection.
Moreover, Jordan has set up an outdoor gym beside the tennis courts, where he plans to hold family barbecues as well as his training sessions. His partner, Katie, for her part, intends to renovate the kitchen, considering the '60s-style decor to be long overdue for some freshening up.
Sometimes Good Things Happen To The Right Person
To publicize his new life, Jordan used Penrose Estate as his profile picture on Facebook, prompting dozens of congratulatory comments from those who knew him. A typical example of these messages is his grandmother Barbara's remark that "It couldn’t have happened to a nicer person."
Jordan's grandparents raised him to do good with what he's been given. So, naturally, Lord Jordan Adlard Rogers also plans to create a local charity funded by his estate. The little boy who once wandered in the woods surrounding Penrose House with Barbara, searching for his true identity, has found it and so much more.