George Clooney casually gave 14 of his friends $1 million each. Then says, 'Why wouldn't you do that?'

Friends are an essential part of a support system that helps individuals achieve success in life while keeping them grounded. Hollywood star George Clooney understands the value of friends in life and tries to look out for them as much as he can. In 2013, Clooney came up with a way to thank 14 of his closest friends for their support through thick and thin. According to reports, the "Syriana" star gifted each of them $1 million.

"I thought, 'what I do have are these guys who've all, over a period of 35 years, helped me in one way or another,'" Clooney said in an interview with GQ. "I've slept on their couches when I was broke. They loaned me money when I was broke. They helped me when I needed help over the years. And I've helped them over the years. We're all good friends. And I thought, you know, without them I don't have any of this. And we're all really close, and I just thought basically if I get hit by a bus, they're all in the will."

"So why the (expletive) am I waiting to get hit by a bus?" he added. The actor then took inspiration from his "Ocean's" franchise and rented an old van with 'florist' written on it, before loading it up with 14 bags, each filled with a million dollars. "I just held up a map and I just pointed to all the places I got to go in the world and all the things I've gotten to see because of them," Clooney recalled. "And I said, 'How do you repay people like that?' And I said, 'Oh, well: How about a million bucks?'" he added.

Clooney who is now married to human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, is the father to 3-year-old twins Ella and Alexander, and has more dollars to his name, after selling his tequila company for a billion dollars in 2017. "You know, it's funny," Clooney said. "I remember talking to one really rich a**h*le who I ran into in a hotel in Vegas—certainly a lot richer than I am. And I remember the story about the cash had come out, and he was like, 'Why would you do that?'"

"And I was like, 'Why wouldn't you do that, you schmuck?'," Clooney said.  

Known as a modern-day Cary Grant, Clooney's success story is nothing short of extraordinary. George Clooney who comes from a famous family started out as a background artist on TV shows back in 1978. He later begged for a role on the short-lived TV series named "ER" that ran for just a few months from September 1984 to February 1985. According to Celebrity Net Worth, George Clooney’s net worth in 2024 is an incredible $500 million. Apart from his acting and production, Clooney has also amassed a major chunk of this fortune from his businesses. He also found success as a writer and director, and has many lucrative brand deals to his name such as his $40 million deal with Nespresso in 2013.