Has anyone become famous, and not bought a mansion?

musicismylife78 · May 2009

We all know how it works, a person, gets famous, whether we are talking an author, musician, a filmmaker, an actor or any other profession, and they buy a huge house, in a gated community. While it makes sense that if one attains a great deal of success and wealth that it would be tough to live on main street, I find it interesting and rather disappointing I cant come up with any famous names, in regards to people who have gotten rich and famous, and stayed in the who continued to live in the same old house, same modest house they always lived in.

It would be facinating indeed to come up with a hip hop musician who grew up in the inner city, and got famous but stayed in the inner city. Again, I cant come up with any examples, but I am sure at least one such person exists.

inmytree · May 2009

Disappointing...? What's so disappointing about someone buying a nicer home....?

chromiam · May 2009

Yep let me better my life and situation and then stay in the same house, same block and just invite people to rob or take advantage of me.... yeah sounds like a real smart thing to do.

Phantom Pain · May 2009

inmytree wrote:

Disappointing...? What's so disappointing about someone buying a nicer home....?

Who knows ?

keepin_it_real_trucker_hat-p148765657658603054q02g_400.jpg

cougar9000 · May 2009

warren buffett still lives in his same ol place.

Phantom Pain · May 2009

chromiam wrote:

Yep let me better my life and situation and then stay in the same house, same block and just invite people to rob or take advantage of me.... yeah sounds like a real smart thing to do.

"It wasn't easy for me to be a scared white boy in a black neighborhood..."

8-)

decides2dream · May 2009

i think fame, by definition, makes it very difficult for one to stay in the same home or area they started out in...sadly b/c there are wacky people in this world. that said, i may not know of anyone famous who has done so....but i do know plenty of people who have gotten rich who have, but sure they are not so famous that we'd know about em. in a magazine i read regularly they have a feature highlighting people who were crazy frugal throughout their lives - even though they were filthy rich, lived innocuously, and pretty much saved it all and gave to charities, universities, etc....after their deaths.

i have to agree tho, i don't think it's 'disappointing' at all that poeple who become rich and/or famous choose to live in nicer homes. most average people, even with average successes, do the same. and those truly rich people also happen to help keep many, many people employed...housekeepers, gardeners, electircians, interior designers, archetects, etc, etc. it's not all 'bad', at all...

musicismylife78 · May 2009

inmytree wrote:

Disappointing...? What's so disappointing about someone buying a nicer home....?

I dont know, I like to believe in something. I like to believe not everyone thinks that having money, and having a huge house will bring you happiness.

And the fact that I cant think of any famous person, who has the wealth and the success, but also has a small house, in the middle of the city, is indeed disappointing.

Again, read my post. I said, I understood why the big house is needed. or why after getting some success someone would feel they deserve a big house. Yet, there are many people who have said money doesnt equal success. Some of those folks who have said that have been rich themselves.

You dont find it odd and strange, there isnt a person that comes to mind when asking my original question?

Lets be real here chromiam. We are talking in most cases about people in the arts. Writers, musicians. Artists. Actors.

For me, and I guess its apparently a naive belief on this board at least, that money doesnt equal happiness. That having that huge mcmansion doesnt equal happiness. That if you star in a big film or make the next Nevermind or American Idiot, that having a ton of material objects will not bring you happiness. That bulldozing out to the suburbs or a gated community, and leaving the city, the homes you grew up in, that that wont neccesarily make you happy.

Silly me for having such ideas

chromiam · May 2009

Phantom Pain wrote:

chromiam wrote:

Yep let me better my life and situation and then stay in the same house, same block and just invite people to rob or take advantage of me.... yeah sounds like a real smart thing to do.

"It wasn't easy for me to be a scared white boy in a black neighborhood..."

8-)

sometimes you'd send me a birthday card with a 5 dollar bill...

musicismylife78 · May 2009

sure it makes sense not to live in the same modest house. Because of crazy fans, as the cases of John Lennon or George Harrison prove. And it would obviously be a nightmare in many ways, because fans most likely would be showing up at a persons doorstep 24/7 if they lived in a modest, city house.

that said, again, I just find it interesting.

Phantom Pain · May 2009

chromiam wrote:

Phantom Pain wrote:

chromiam wrote:

Yep let me better my life and situation and then stay in the same house, same block and just invite people to rob or take advantage of me.... yeah sounds like a real smart thing to do.

"It wasn't easy for me to be a scared white boy in a black neighborhood..."

8-)

sometimes you'd send me a birthday card with a 5 dollar bill...

HaHa !!

Just heard that actually the other day !

decides2dream · May 2009

who said said money, or bigger homes, brings happiness?
choosing to move into a larger home, a better neighborhood, whatever....is not necessarily equated with 'happiness'.....it really isn't. as i said, i am sure there are people who do so, but b/c they keep a lower profile, more than likely you wouldn't know. reminds me, don't know if it still holds true b/c i read about it quite a few years ago now....but benecio del toro stayed living in a small apartment for a good # of years after becoming 'famous'...but i think too, certain 'famous people' are better at being less recognizable, thus makes it easier for them to do so. a woman i used to work with, her neighbor used to be a regular character on law & order...came into the store we worked regularly....and yes, while she lived in quite a nice neighborhood, it certainly isn't where you'd think some famous person would live. that's the point....famous people who keep themselves on a smaller scale, obviously, aren't going to advertise it...and you'd not know about it...and i am sure that's how they want it.

tybird · May 2009

musicismylife78 wrote:

sure it makes sense not to live in the same modest house. Because of crazy fans, as the cases of John Lennon or George Harrison prove. And it would obviously be a nightmare in many ways, because fans most likely would be showing up at a persons doorstep 24/7 if they lived in a modest, city house.

that said, again, I just find it interesting.

Talk about different sides of the coin.....Lennon shot on a public street.....Harrison locked behind the walls of a mansion because he was terrified of what happened to Lennon.

musicismylife78 · May 2009

tybird wrote:

musicismylife78 wrote:

sure it makes sense not to live in the same modest house. Because of crazy fans, as the cases of John Lennon or George Harrison prove. And it would obviously be a nightmare in many ways, because fans most likely would be showing up at a persons doorstep 24/7 if they lived in a modest, city house.

that said, again, I just find it interesting.

Talk about different sides of the coin.....Lennon shot on a public street.....Harrison locked behind the walls of a mansion because he was terrified of what happened to Lennon.

Not really. Both are reasons one could come up with for living in a big house, with security and a huge fence away from

Dylan said he was freaked out after Lennon was killed, that "if they could kill Lennon, they could kill us all", he was refering to famous musicians.

So no its not two different sides of the coin, its the same coin same side.

Lennon was shot outside a famous hotel. So it follows, that the thinking would be, buying a huge house, away from the city, with major security would be an option to preventing this

ledvedderman · May 2009

Count me in on the "don't care where anyone (famous or not) lives".

musicismylife78 · May 2009

the danger is obviously there. Imagine if Brad Pitt bought a house in downtown LA. It would be a madhouse. Literally. I cant picture the chaos that would ensue but it would be pretty epic.

But in many instances, its all about fear. Yes, there are crazy fans, and numerous instances of fans going nuts and killing, assaulting, or intending to rape, kill or harm a famous person. But I am sure there are also alot of fans that would be harmless.

Its the same mentality in many ways, in reguards to gated communities of rich whites. Lets wall ourselves off from the other. We are mightier and look down on those poor folk, those blacks, those hispanics, those others. Thats not a rational belief but its what many folks believe.

So, my point of this thread was, to come up with names of folks who bucked the trend, and to suggest the fear of crazy fans is just that, fear. Arent we all in danger of being robbed. In my hometown just the other day a homeless guy was mugged and murdered. And normal middle class folk, or lower middle class, have reason to fear theft as well.

But isnt that just what it is, just a fear?

soulsinging · May 2009

musicismylife78 wrote:

I dont know, I like to believe in something. I like to believe not everyone thinks that having money, and having a huge house will bring you happiness.

And the fact that I cant think of any famous person, who has the wealth and the success, but also has a small house, in the middle of the city, is indeed disappointing.

Again, read my post. I said, I understood why the big house is needed. or why after getting some success someone would feel they deserve a big house. Yet, there are many people who have said money doesnt equal success. Some of those folks who have said that have been rich themselves.

You dont find it odd and strange, there isnt a person that comes to mind when asking my original question?

Lets be real here chromiam. We are talking in most cases about people in the arts. Writers, musicians. Artists. Actors.

For me, and I guess its apparently a naive belief on this board at least, that money doesnt equal happiness. That having that huge mcmansion doesnt equal happiness. That if you star in a big film or make the next Nevermind or American Idiot, that having a ton of material objects will not bring you happiness. That bulldozing out to the suburbs or a gated community, and leaving the city, the homes you grew up in, that that wont neccesarily make you happy.

Silly me for having such ideas

Yeah, you are naive. I think there are plenty of these people buying bigger places not because they think it will make them happy, but because they want some measure of privacy in their lives. And they're tired of having a shit apartment/house with roaches and a shower that doesn't have hot water. Is that so awful.

And to set your mind at ease, all of the guys from Flaming Lips still live in their same old houses in Oklahoma. Watch the Fearless Freaks documentary... I think Wayne Coyne is even on his neighborhood block watch or something.

soulsinging · May 2009

musicismylife78 wrote:

the danger is obviously there. Imagine if Brad Pitt bought a house in downtown LA. It would be a madhouse. Literally. I cant picture the chaos that would ensue but it would be pretty epic.

But in many instances, its all about fear. Yes, there are crazy fans, and numerous instances of fans going nuts and killing, assaulting, or intending to rape, kill or harm a famous person. But I am sure there are also alot of fans that would be harmless.

Its the same mentality in many ways, in reguards to gated communities of rich whites. Lets wall ourselves off from the other. We are mightier and look down on those poor folk, those blacks, those hispanics, those others. Thats not a rational belief but its what many folks believe.

So, my point of this thread was, to come up with names of folks who bucked the trend, and to suggest the fear of crazy fans is just that, fear. Arent we all in danger of being robbed. In my hometown just the other day a homeless guy was mugged and murdered. And normal middle class folk, or lower middle class, have reason to fear theft as well.

But isnt that just what it is, just a fear?

Yes, we all are. But not to the extent celebrities are. I know a certain rock star named Eddie Vedder that has talked about a fan that tried to drive her car into his house, jeopardizing his family's safety. But shame on him for putting the safety of his loved ones ahead of pleasing an internet fan's belief that he shouldn't sell out to whitey and should go live in the ghetto to get some cred. :roll:

decides2dream · May 2009

and please spare me the 'white only gated community' BS. seriously. there are PLENTY of gated communities around with people of ALL colors. and i know this for a fact. there are many of these communities about in my area of the state, and i see the people often driving in/out.....and simply the demographics census of the areas......it ain't all white. not even. black people, middle easterners, asians....they can be rich and want security and privacy too. sweet bejeebus.......

security and privacy are desired by MANY people, of all races....and of all income levels too.

musicismylife78 · May 2009

decides2dream wrote:

and please spare me the 'white only gated community' BS. seriously. there are PLENTY of gated communities around with people of ALL colors. and i know this for a fact. there are many of these communities about in my area of the state, and i see the people often driving in/out.....and simply the demographics census of the areas......it ain't all white. not even. black people, middle easterners, asians....they can be rich and want security and privacy too. sweet bejeebus.......

security and privacy are desired by MANY people, of all races....and of all income levels too.

I disagree. Sure there are rich black people. But look at the Forbes list of richest americans. Or the Fortune 500 companies. Most if not all are led by white males, a few white females. There are exceptions Robert Johnson I think is his name is the owner or was the owner of BET and a billionaire. And I think Time Warner was once owned by a black man as well.

But lets be real people, you have got to be kidding me if you think the gated communities are made up of a diverse folk.

You been to Laguna Beach? You really think The Hamptons are made up of a bunch of diverse folk? Nantucket? Cape Cod? Name all the famous, wealthy places, and locations in America, sure its not 100 percent white, but come on, lets be real, it isnt diverse.

Kel Varnsen · May 2009

musicismylife78 wrote:

the danger is obviously there. Imagine if Brad Pitt bought a house in downtown LA. It would be a madhouse. Literally. I cant picture the chaos that would ensue but it would be pretty epic.

But in many instances, its all about fear. Yes, there are crazy fans, and numerous instances of fans going nuts and killing, assaulting, or intending to rape, kill or harm a famous person. But I am sure there are also alot of fans that would be harmless.

It might not be just about fear but probably more just annoyance. Sure if Brad Pitt lived in a little house in downtown LA the odds of someone trying to kill him would be pretty small, but the odds of people knocking on his door and asking for a picture or autographs would be much higher, or even people asking to borrow money. Not to mention photographers trying to get a picture of him. So if he has the money to eliminate, or at least minimize those problems, and live in comfort at the same time, why wouldn't he, its not like you can take the money with you when you die.

Has anyone become famous, and not bought a mansion?

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