May 3, 2024
Having starred in blockbuster films like “Jurassic Park” and “Independence Day,” Jeff Goldblum has amassed a considerable fortune from his acting career.
However, this doesn’t mean his children will inherit an easy path to financial comfort — they will need to earn their own way.
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The 71-year-old actor recently appeared on iHeart’s “Table for Two” podcast, hosted by Bruce Bozzi, where he discussed his philosophy on parenting.
“I’m no conventionalist, but I know the system that we’re in and I think sooner than later — but I don't want to scare them — they should figure out … this idea that hey, you know, you’ve got to row your own boat,” he said.
Goldblum has two children — Charlie, 8, and River, 6 — with wife Emilie Livingston. However, he emphasized the importance of letting his children find their own way to support themselves.
“I'm not going to do it for you and you're not going to want me to do it for you. You’ve got to figure out how to find out what's wanted and needed and where that intersects with your love and your passion and what you can do,” he explained. “And even if it doesn't, you might have to do that anyway.”
Is inheritance 'distasteful'?
Goldblum is not the only celebrity embracing this type of mentality.
For instance, music executive and television producer Simon Cowell has stated that his fortune will be directed toward charitable causes instead of being passed down to his children.
“I’m going to leave my money to somebody. A charity, probably — kids and dogs,” he told the Mirror. “I don't believe in passing on from one generation to another. Your legacy has to be that hopefully you gave enough people an opportunity, so that they could do well, and you gave them your time, taught them what you know.”
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Ashton Kutcher, star of “That ’70s Show,” shared the view of donating his fortune to charity rather than passing it on to his children.
“I’m not setting up a trust for them,” he said during an episode Dax Shepard’s “Armchair Expert” podcast. “We’ll end up giving our money away to charity and to various things.” Kutcher is married to former sitcom co-star Mila Kunis.
Meanwhile, Daniel Craig — the actor best known for portraying James Bond — considers the concept of inheritance to be "quite distasteful."
“I don't want to leave great sums to the next generation,” he told Candis Magazine, as reported by multiple news outlets. “My philosophy is get rid of it or give it away before you go.”
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Are there any exceptions?
These celebrities seem firm on their desire to put their fortunes toward charitable causes rather than passing on such great wealth.
However, some may be an exception to this rule. For example, Kutcher says if his children decide to start a business, they could potentially have their father as an investor.
“If my kids want to start a business, and they have a good business plan, I’ll invest in it, but they’re not getting trusts,” he said, adding that hopefully his children will be “motivated to have what they had or some version of what they had” while growing up.
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Jing is an investment reporter for MoneyWise. He is an avid advocate of investing for passive income. Despite the ups and downs he’s been through with the markets, Jing believes that you can generate a steadily increasing income stream by investing in high quality companies.
