Cool Rich People

There is this annoying idea, almost certainly motivated by pure jealousy, that people who work their butts off and get rich should then feel guilty for being rich and apologize for it. And many wealthy people (especially actors and actresses it seems) have fallen prey to this way of thinking.

So I love it when there are rich people who are not apologetic for their wealth. Time magazine got it right last year when they named "The Good Samaritans" Bono and Bill and Melinda Gates as their Persons of the Year. These are extremely wealthy people who, without apology for their success, have used their wealth to accomplish great things. And they go to bed at night in their multi-million dollar homes knowing that they have accomplished more than most of us will ever dream for the good of the world.

If I were to think of two celebrities who, in my mind, best personify a great balance in this regard, the two that I would instantly think of could not be more different from each other, yet they both are, in my opinion, "cool rich people." These two are Oprah Winfrey and Rush Limbaugh. Oprah has used her amazing fortune and status to start schools for children in South Africa, to build homes for many people in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, and to lend weight and impact to many other worthy causes. And, according to a recent People magazine article, she has no problem being rich. Said Oprah:

"I was coming back from Africa on one of my trips. I had taken one of my wealthy friends with me. She said, 'Don't you just feel guilty? Don't you just feel terrible?' I said, 'No, I don't. I do not know how me being destitute is going to help them.' Then I said when we got home, 'I'm going home to sleep on my Pratesi sheets right now and I'll feel good about it.' "

Very cool.

The other person, on probably the opposite end of the political spectrum is conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh. He is the most wealthy radio personality in the world, and he uses that wealth and his influence to bring attention to some wonderful non-political causes. He is one of the leading spokespeople for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and his annual fundraising drive is the single-largest fundraiser for Leukemia research in America. He also helps to raise funds for a non-political group that provides college scholarships for the children of American soldiers who are killed while on duty. But Limbaugh also constantly loves to "tweak" his audience by talking about his wealth. In his case, it often has a political implication, since he is accused of being "out of touch," so he, in good humor, plays along with the idea and talks about the privileges that come with being (as he says it), "a wealthy and powerful influential member of the media."

Entirely apart from politics, Oprah and Rush are two very cool rich people.