Columnist Calls High-Profile Philanthropists ‘Yawns’

Using a term coined in Great Britain, columnist Robert Frank says extremely rich young people who live humbly and give most of their wealth to charity are “yawns,” writing in an opinion article for The Wall Street Journal.

Yawns are defined “young and wealthy but normal” people in their 30s and 40s who are millionaires many times over or even billionaires. Mr. Frank says these individuals live modestly, devote considerable resources to philanthropy, and tend to be very dull.

He writes, “Although he is 51, Bill Gates is considered the patron saint of yawnhood. His philanthropy, nerdy clothes, and close family help to offset the conspicuousness of his 40,000-square-foot mansion. Yahoo founder Jerry Yang and eBay co-founder Pierre Omidyar are yawns, as is Nashville rancher and billionaire Brad M. Kelley, who drives a Ford pickup and says he has never been on a yacht. Mr. Kelley uses his extra cash to fund land-conservation projects and breed white rhinos, Eastern bongos, and other rare animals in Africa.”

(A paid subscription is required to view this article.)