Once upon a time, Juan Pérez, the poorest of the poor, reaches fame in a fluke accident in what seemed to be an attempt of suicide, to protest against the government and his social condition. The Ministry of Economy, surrounded by the scandal in which he is blamed by Pérez's decision, decides to reward him changing his life giving him a little house, a car and a job. But when other poor people (Pérez's close friends) find out about his reversal of fortune, decide to imitate him faking suicide attempts in different buildings in Mexico City. The Ministry of Economy, terrified by the glance of having a plague of beggars, decides to declare poverty a crime and hence finish for once and for all with all the poor in the country. Pérez ends up behind bars. Three years later, Pérez is released and goes back to his previous social condition, but this time, aware of having one day as a rich man is better than a life as poor, he will do anything to get out of his misery... And he will manage to do so!

Character Pedro Lazcurain is named after a Mexican president who lasted only one day in the job.

Factual errors: The portrait that appears in the house of the politician Lascuraian, the Secretary of Economy of México, is, in fact, the portrait of Porfirio Díaz, president of México (1877-1911), and not from José Ives Limantour, Secretary of Economy of México in Diaz administration