Renewable Energy
What Some Amazing People Have Done with Their Wealth
When one gets to arguing about the greatest baseball players of all time, or, in this case, the greatest rock guitarist, people’s blood gets to roiling. I’m willing to take that risk, and so here’s my assertion: it’s a three-way tie between Steve Howe of Yes, Jimmy Page of Led Zepplin, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd.
I’m sure all three became unfathomably rich, but perhaps Gilmour has the best, most heart-warming, story to tell.
(Gilmour) earned so much money that he called it “obscene.” He once said he would wake up in the morning and write cheques to charity — just to make sense of the fortune he had. But one day, he decided to go even further. After selling his London home for £4.5 million, Gilmour gave all the proceeds to Crisis, a charity that supports the homeless. “I don’t need the money and I just thought it would be a good thing to do,” he said humbly.
In his quiet wisdom, Gilmour reflected on the simplicity he longed for: “You collect Ferraris and then you’ve got to collect buildings to house the Ferraris, and then you need more people to look after the people who are looking after things. Life gets very complicated. And eventually, at least in my case, you think, ‘I don’t need this stuff.’ And suddenly life gets simpler.”
I’m sure there are many different reasons to support those least able to support themselves, but simplifying one’s life sounds good to me.