We thought Chris Rock was joking...

Remember when Chris Rock said the following in Never Scared?
Oprah is rich, Bill Gates is wealthy. If Bill Gates woke up tommorow with Oprah's money, he'd jump out a fvckin' window and slit his throat on the way down saying, "I can't even put gas in my plane!

German tycoon Adolf Merckle commits suicide
By Markus Nagle Markus Nagle
BLAUBEUREN, Germany (Reuters) – German billionaire Adolf Merckle has committed suicide, in despair over the huge losses suffered by his business empire during the financial crisis, his family said on Tuesday. The media-shy billionaire, whose family controls some of Germany's best-known companies, was hit by a train on Monday evening, local officials said. "The desperate situation of his companies caused by the financial crisis, the uncertainties of the last few weeks and his powerlessness to act, have broken the passionate family entrepreneur and he took his own life," a family statement said. State prosecutors from the southern city of Ulm said Merckle, 74, left work on Monday and died after being hit by a train near the town of Blaubeuren. He left behind a suicide note to his family, they added. There was no sign of anyone else being involved, they said. In 2008 Merckle was ranked as the world's 94th-richest person and Germany's fifth-wealthiest by Forbes magazine. Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090106/bs_nm/us_merckle_6

Well, like they always say, truth is stranger than fiction. Look, I know I'm supposed to have lots of comments and questions to add to this and the truth is I actually have too much. But instead of listing them, I'll just repeat what a friend emailed me back regarding the article. It reads much better than anything I would have ever said:

I am not really surprised by this article. There are many people who place their happiness, self-worth and existence in the perceived and notoriety of their riches. Perhaps he would've lived happier if he shifted his thoughts to the many people he was able to bless with employment, donations and the many contributions that his riches afforded others. I find as I age that the true meaning and sustenance of my life is not how much I have in the bank but rather how many people I managed to be a blessing to daily.

Damn, you blessed at least one today. Thank you.