In 2006, Dave Chappelle walked away from a $50 million contract to continue his acclaimed show with Comedy Central.
But he didn’t give his fans or the broader public much of a clue about why. In an interview with David Letterman, he finally answered some of those questions. And what he has to say about money and happiness makes a lot of sense.
With that, please check out “Can You Be Too Rich?” — a quick read by economist Umair Haque. This analogy really struck me:
“Imagine a bountiful forest. And then — no one can say quite why — a small handful of the trees suddenly grow tall. Much taller. They became so tall and strong and broad that they block the sunlight from all the other trees. The other trees begin to wilt, and wither, and disappear. Their roots crack, and split, and turn to dust. And one day, not long after, even the roots of the tallest trees can find no water, can grip no soil. They begin to fall. Soon the whole forest becomes a desert.”
