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    Suze Orman: ‘I Don’t Care About Money’

    By | Work + Money – Mon, Nov 15, 2010 5:21 PM EST

    A look inside Suze Orman's complicated relationship with money.

    By Jenna Goudreau

    Personal finance guru Suze Orman visited our offices yesterday to film an interview with Moira Forbes. (Stay tuned: the video will be available soon.) In usual form, she was lively and energetic, firing off her iconic brand of common-sense money advice.

    Then, the woman who has written seven financial bestsellers, will soon host money shows on CNBC and Oprah Winfrey's OWN network, and appeared at No. 61 on our list of the World's Most Powerful Women this year, said a curious thing. "The one thing I don't care about is money," Orman told Forbes when asked to describe her personal relationship with money.

    She continued: "Yes I love that I have it. Yes I love that I can live in a great place. But if I didn't have it, I would be equally as happy as I am now. The true quest of life isn't money, it's the wealth that resides within you….Do I think I would be any happier if I had another 50 million dollars? No."

    Is it really possible that a person who thinks constantly about other people's money wouldn't care about her own? Orman said that she is incredibly frugal despite her wealth. As an example, she offered up the fact that she and her partner, K.T., fly with JetBlue airlines when not working. "When we're working, we fly private," she added. She also mentioned that they live in the lavish Plaza Hotel in New York. But Orman explained that it's a very small apartment.

    Later in the interview she detailed just how much she does seem to care about money. "I will be walking down the street in New York City," Orman said, "and if I see a penny in a puddle, I will stop and pick it up. I honor [money]. I stay involved with it. I think about what I'm spending. I make no purchases because I can. The more money I have, the more I think about spending it."

    Are our relationships with money inherently contradictory? In just a few breaths, Orman said she loves having money, but doesn't care about it. She would be happy without money, but makes a point of considering every penny.

    Read more about Suze Orman.

    See also:
    Love And Money: Step-By-Step Guide To Financial Unity
    How To Lead Like Oprah
    How To Shine Like Michelle Obama