Rosie O’Donnell is looking back at the financial milestone that made her feel ready to walk away from daytime television.
People reported that O’Donnell said she had $100 million in the bank when she decided to end The Rosie O’Donnell Show in 2002.
Page Six reported that the number made her realize she no longer needed to keep chasing more.
O’Donnell Said the Number Made the Decision Clear
O’Donnell said that once she learned how much she had saved, the decision became simple.
“When I heard that [number], I thought, ‘Okay, now I’m done,’ ” she told Page Six, according to People. “And everyone was like, ‘Why are you leaving?’ ”
The Rosie O’Donnell Show was still successful. O’Donnell hosted the syndicated daytime program for six seasons, from 1996 through 2002, becoming one of the most recognizable talk-show hosts of the era.
She Wanted More Time With Her Children
O’Donnell said family was at the center of the decision. People reported that she wanted to be present for her children’s everyday moments, including softball games and school plays.
She explained that she felt she had enough money to care for the people in her life, support philanthropy and help strangers. After reaching that point, continuing only for a larger paycheck no longer made sense to her.
O’Donnell shares her four oldest children, Parker, Chelsea, Blake and Vivienne, with ex-wife Kelli Carpenter. She also shares her youngest child, Clay, with her late ex-wife Michelle Rounds.
She Turned Down Another Huge Offer
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People reported that she turned down an alleged $100 million offer from Warner Bros. to continue hosting the show for two more years.
O’Donnell said people questioned why she would walk away from that much money. Her answer was that she already had enough. “Because I already have that money, and if I think I need more, something’s wrong with me,” she recalled.
She also criticized the idea of measuring a life only by accumulated wealth, saying she does not understand billionaires or people who treat money as the main measure of success.
The Show Had Already Made Its Mark
The Rosie O’Donnell Show became known for celebrity interviews, Broadway enthusiasm, audience giveaways and a warmer daytime style that helped define late-1990s and early-2000s talk television.
People noted that O’Donnell has continued reflecting on that period, including stories about some of her favorite and most difficult guests. She has named Barbra Streisand as a favorite and Martin Short as one of the best guests to book because of how naturally funny he was.
She has also said Keanu Reeves was one of the more difficult guests to interview, while making clear that she considers him kind and good-hearted.