Paul McCartney not embarrassed by his massive fortune

Daily Mirror ^ | April 7, 2003 | Daily Mirror

[ejdrapes]

{snip} At a conservative estimate, the lad from a Liverpool council estate who left school at the first opportunity is worth £700million. Last year, when his US tour grossed £70million, no other performer earned more than him. And it is something he is immensely proud of.

When I read about things like that I think, that's not me. [My wife] said to me this morning, 'I don't think of you as rich, you know.' And I said, 'I don't either.' But I am. And the best thing about it is being able to help friends and relatives with health problems.

"We just had a friend of [my wife's] who was stuck in an NHS hospital. She was going to be in over Christmas and I said 'Get her private'. They did the operation that night and she was home for Christmas. It sounds a bit goody-goody but that's the real buzz I get out of money."

So his massive fortune doesn't embarrass him? "Not at all. When I left school I set out to get a job and earn good money if I could. I'm no different from anyone else. Some people think making all this money is uncool. I don't. I'm trying to do what I do to the very best of my ability. I'm not embarrassed if that means I earn loads." {snip}

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

In this day 700,000,000 pounds is not that big.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Good for him. No reason for affluenza, unless of course you're a Clinton and have received millions for NOTHING.

[DannyTN]

Paul is not embarrassed by being rich. Good for him.

The reporter is not embarrassed by being envious and condescending and thinking Paul should be.

[GnL]

It's generally the losers of the world who expect the rich to apologize for their hard work and success. The only people who think it's not "cool" to be rich are the ones who will never be rich due to their laziness.

[Tax-chick]

I wonder whether he supports privatization of health care? Or does he think it's perfectly fine that everyone except him and his friends has to put up with the NHS and its rationing?

[KellyAdmirer]

If any entertainer deserves it, it is Paul. He owns property in Arizona, pays his taxes, good for him.

[Egregious Philbin]

He should be embarrassed by the price of tickets to his concerts, which is where he's been getting alot of his big bucks in recent years. Not by the concerts, Paul can still rock, but by the price. Too much! And he's not alone in it either.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

McCartney's new wife: "I don't think of you as rich, you know."

For that matter, when I married you, I had no idea who you were. I assumed you were a simple working-class lad from Merseyside.

[theFIRMbss]

>In this day 700,000,000 pounds is not that big.

700,000,000.00 GBP United Kingdom Pounds = $ 1,084,765,537.85 USD United States Dollars

[EggsAckley]

In this day 700,000,000 pounds is not that big.

It's NOT?

[mickie]

I'm glad he's taking care of his wife's friends and no doubt all of her family.......hope the same can be said for his side of the 'family'.

[joesnuffy]

The Beatles did so much for the world...drugs sex anti war anti american pro commies
Now that he has something to protect...he is a conservative...
Sex Drugs and Rock n Roll..... courtesy people like Paul.....
I wouldnt expect him to apologize for being wealthy...but perhaps for his sake he ought to rethink his past...like a lot of us...
God will be his judge hope he is ready to face Him...
life is short eternity is not

[Aquinasfan]

I wonder whether he supports privatization of health care?

Good question. I have a relative that's been waiting more than six months for an operation. Great system...

[GB]

In the Playboy interview he did right before he was killed, John Lennon was asked if, given all the leftist causes he was involved in and all the socialists he ran around with at one point in his life, he was ashamed to be so rich, and his response was something like, "What would you have me do, give it all away and walk the streets? I wasn't satisfied with $2, I wasn't satisfied with $2,000 and I wasn't satisfied with $2 million." So Paulie wasn't the only Beatle to appreciate the value and significance of a buck.

[freeper12]

>>The only people who think it's not "cool" to be rich are the ones who will never be rich due to their laziness.

Pretty pathetic if you think that is true. A sad reflection on where your values are.

How about a *good* teacher, one who goes into teaching for the sheer joy of working with kids? (yea, there are only a few of them, but there are some).

How about someone who works within a church and want to spread the word? Are they poor because they are lazy?

How about a doctor who works for low or no pay in a poor country/clinic just so that s/he can make a difference?

How about a mother who chooses to stay home and raise the kids and the parents live on one salary instead of two because they know that money really isn't the most important thing in the world? Is she lazy?

How about a farmer that works 80 hours a week on the farm and can provide for his or her familiy but will never own a condo on Malibu beach...is he lazy?

[scouse]

For that matter, when I married you, I had no idea who you were. I assumed you were a simple working-class lad from Merseyside.

You have this a little confused. That's what my wofe says to me. :^))

[1Old Pro]

"We just had a friend of [my wife's] who was stuck in an NHS hospital. She was going to be in over Christmas and I said 'Get her private'.

What??? The "state" hospitals aren't as good as the private ones? And the nerve of him. Paying out of his own pcket. Hillary would have him arrested.

[ml/nj]

And the best thing about it is being able to help friends and relatives with health problems.

How can this be?

Why would his friends and relatives have health problems?
Medical care is free for everyone in the UK.

ML/NJ

[Camerican]

Oh spare me please!! You sound like a Canadian union, socialist whiner who would rather that everybody be subjected to the same crappy system of long wait lists for medical care just so the playing field is level. If people have money to pay for better care, they should be free to spend it on better care - as long as this doesn't mean bumping those who cannot afford the normal level of care out of the line-up.

If Paul allowed this lady to access a private room that would otherwise not have been used at that time (and likely not by some out of work coal miner), then all power to him and her. Did it occur to you that by funding his friend's use of the private room, this freed up a gov't funded non-private room for some other person?