Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ignited a heated debate when they urged their extensive fan base to contribute to the Maui, Hawaii, relief fund, aiming to aid those impacted by the catastrophic Lahaina wildfires.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Oprah Winfrey sparked controversy with their call for wildfire relief donations in Maui, Hawaii. They announced a $10 million joint contribution on Instagram and urged their followers to join in. However, some questioned why such wealthy individuals didn’t give more.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, The Rock was questioned about the fund they had established. The Rock Stated, ”Yeah man uh sure so the people’s fund in Maui is a fund that we started, and uh the idea was to create a fund for these people who have been there it was the worst fires in U.S history in over a century and so many lives destroyed the idea was let’s put this fund together”.
“let’s create a fund where the money will go directly into their hands right now it’s a thing that people need and so we put this fund together and I donated millions of dollars of my own personal money, ” Dwayne Johnson further added.
The Rock expressed gratitude for the initial support but acknowledged the criticism. He said, “Money is not growing on trees”. He understood that not everyone can easily contribute, having faced financial struggles himself. He admitted he could have communicated better and should have emphasized that the fund aims to directly help those affected by the crisis.
Oprah Winfrey responds to criticism over her $10 Million Maui wildfire fund with Dwayne Johnson
Many of their supporters contended that their willingness to engage the public showcased their dedication to collective efforts during crises. While Johnson faced criticism, he opted to remain silent on the issue.
As per reports, Oprah Winfrey disclosed that the relief fund had garnered support from 10,000 individuals but refrained from revealing the total donation amount.
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Forbes’ eye-popping wealth estimates further fueled the controversy. Oprah’s net worth reportedly exceeded $2 billion, and The Rock’s amounted to $250 million as of February 2022. In this context, their $10 million donation represented a mere 0.5% of their combined estimated wealth. Their combined estimated net worth of $2.77 billion dwarfed their $10 million donation, constituting just 0.36% of their
Their Instagram post generated over 60,000 comments, with many expressing disbelief that some of America’s wealthiest individuals were requesting contributions from those struggling with the rising cost of living. One comment succinctly captured the sentiment, stating, “Math ain’t mathing with this one. You guys literally have so much money… You can donate it and make it back within a year”.
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The devastating Maui wildfires in August resulted in 115 lives lost and dozens still missing, according to CNN. Johnson and Winfrey directed supporters to the People’s Fund of Maui, pledging to provide direct assistance to those affected.
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