I took that to mean he’d been paying it that long. But since he was 12? - that does seem a bit off.
He’s been promoting a book for a few months or so, so lots of interviews:
[quote]
Sometimes we couldn’t pay the electric bill, and I had to stop studying when night fell.[/quote
https://beta.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/03/18/i-was-first-generation-college-student-an-elite-college-admissions-scandal-reopens-old-wounds/