Rosie O'Donnell says one financial milestone convinced her to step away from one of television's biggest daytime talk shows and focus on raising her children instead.
The 64-year-old comedian told Page Six she decided to leave "The
Rosie O'Donnell Show" after learning she had earned about $100 million. Rather than continue building her fortune, O'Donnell said she wanted to spend more time with her Family.
"When I heard that [number], I thought, 'OK, now I'm done,'" she recalled. "And everyone was like, 'Why are you leaving?'"
O'Donnell said reaching that level of financial security changed her priorities. She explained that she had enough money to care for her loved ones, support charitable causes and help others, making additional wealth unnecessary in her view.
"I had enough money to take care of everyone in my life, philanthropy and strangers," she said. "I wanted to be at their softball games. I wanted to be at school plays."
O'Donnell hosted "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" from 1996 through 2002, when it was one of the highest-rated daytime programs on television.
She said Warner Bros. tried to persuade her to stay by offering another $100 million for two more years. Even so, O'Donnell said she declined the deal.
"They were like, 'Why would you say no?'" she remembered. "And I was like, 'Because I already have that money and if I think I need more, something's wrong with me.'"
She also questioned the pursuit of extreme wealth, saying she does not understand people who measure success only by money.
"I don't get the billionaires," O'Donnell said. "I don't get how people only measure their life in money, not what they can do for other people."
The actress also reflected on her relationship with her daughter, Chelsea, who is serving a prison sentence following legal troubles tied to Addiction.
O'Donnell described a recent prison visit as an emotional turning point. She said it was the first conversation the two had shared in roughly a decade that lasted longer than 25 minutes.
"The first time that I saw her in a consistent way was the four hours in the prison," O'Donnell said, adding that Chelsea became emotional when a tornado warning cut the visit short.
"And that's the first time I've seen, kind of, an empathetic emotion from her," she said. "So, you know, she's growing up, and I hope that her future is brighter than this past decade has been."
O'Donnell has continued to publicly support her daughter throughout her Addiction struggles, saying her Family remains committed to helping Chelsea as she works toward recovery.