If you suddenly had $87 billion, what would you do?
This is the premise of Apple TV’s half-hour comedy, Loot. Maya Rudolph plays the lead, an ex-wife of a tech billionaire who not only wakes up to immense wealth (after leading an already pampered life), but also the news that she has a thriving philanthropic foundation under her name.
After a few episodes, the show finds its footing when Rudolph’s character takes a more active role at the foundation. From there on out, it’s more of an office comedy focused on the relationships formed by various people at the foundation. Rudolph is still at the heart of many of those plot lines–she’s great–but when the supporting cast is given room to breathe, they’re excellent too.
I’m guessing that the show is loosely based on MacKenzie Scott, who pledged to give away most of her wealth after receiving a 4% stake in Amazon following a divorce from Jeff Bezos. For her and Rudolph’s character, it’s an amount of wealth I can’t even comprehend, and I think it’s awesome that both of them decided to focus their wealth on charitable efforts to help special causes and those in need.
I wonder how people like Scott and Rudolph handle the paradox of choice. They can make a huge difference for any organization, but there are so many organizations worldwide. Some opportunities may arise organically or through word of mouth, and foundations sometimes let organizations apply for grants, with the foundations filtering the applications.
I also wonder about the psychology involved. When you’re blessed with that amount of wealth, does money seem like the first solution to every problem? Money is a powerful force for good, but it’s far from the only tool at our disposal.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about the show or this topic in the comments below!