Columnist Calls High-Profile Philanthropists 'Yawns'

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July 13, 2007

Columnist Calls High-Profile Philanthropists 'Yawns'

Using a term coined in Great Britain, columnist Robert Frank says extremely rich young people who live humbly and give most of their wealth to charity are “yawns,” writing in an opinion article for The Wall Street Journal.

Yawns are defined “young and wealthy but normal” people in their 30s and 40s who are millionaires many times over or even billionaires. Mr. Frank says these individuals live modestly, devote considerable resources to philanthropy, and tend to be very dull.

He writes, “Although he is 51, Bill Gates is considered the patron saint of yawnhood. His philanthropy, nerdy clothes, and close family help to offset the conspicuousness of his 40,000-square-foot mansion. Yahoo founder Jerry Yang and eBay co-founder Pierre Omidyar are yawns, as is Nashville rancher and billionaire Brad M. Kelley, who drives a Ford pickup and says he has never been on a yacht. Mr. Kelley uses his extra cash to fund land-conservation projects and breed white rhinos, Eastern bongos, and other rare animals in Africa.”

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Comments

Oh Mr. Frank, you are a real bore and don’t deserve even a yawn! Where does it say that anyone who has either been able to earn alot of money by their ability, commitment and a bit of luck, or those children who are born into a family where a great deal of money already exists, are not allowed to use any of that money for their own use? Let’s look at percentages, both of the comparison percentage of how much a Bill Gates or a young billionaire or whoever spends of their assets for the good of others, and the percentage of how much Mr. Frank earns and spends of his earnings for the good of others. Would you like to share at least that information with us, as I am quite sure you don’t share your assets, or do you? Prove me wrong!
Please instead use your considerable clout and advantage on showing a positive example and offering creative ideas. You’ll feel much happier generally and sleep much more soundly at night.

— Eugene Yakub Jul 14, 03:14 PM #

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