Rosie O’Donnell has opened up about the huge amount of money she walked away from when she left her hit talk show.
The 64-year-old comedian left The Rosie O’Donnell Show in 2002, despite it being hugely popular at the time.
Speaking to Page Six, Rosie said she had already made around $100 million and decided she had had enough.
“When I heard that (track), I was like, ‘OK, now I’m done,'” she said.
Her decision surprised many people, especially after Warner Bros. reportedly offered her an additional $100 million to continue the show for two more years.
Rosie recalled people asking why she would leave such a successful show. But for her, time with her children had become more important.
“I’d be at their softball games. I’d be at school plays,” she explained.
When asked why she would turn down another big payday, Rosie said she replied: “Because I already have that money and if I think I need more, there’s something wrong with me.”
She also questioned why some extremely wealthy people continue to chase more money.
“I don’t understand the billionaires. I don’t understand how people measure their lives only in money, not what they can do for other people,” she said.
Rosie is now back in the US for a limited Broadway run of her one woman show Common Knowledge, which explores her childhood, motherhood and life in Ireland.
