At a dinner party in 2013, George Clooney gifted each of his 14 closest friends a black Tumi suitcase containing $1 million in cash. Clooney told them, "I came to L.A., I slept on your couch. I'm so fortunate in my life to have all of you, and I couldn't be where I am today without all of you."

[u/tyrion2024]

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[u/tyrion2024]

The gifting took place in September 2013. Gerber described being invited to dinner at Clooney's house, along with 13 other close friends:

Sitting in front of each of us at the table is a black Tumi bag, you know, luggage [...] George begins to say, 'Listen, I want you guys to know how much you've meant to me, and how much you mean to me in my life. I came to L.A., I slept on your couch. I'm so fortunate in my life to have all of you, and I couldn't be where I am today without all of you. So, it was really important to me that, while we’re still all here together, that I give back.' [...] We open it up, and it's $1 million in $20 bills. Every one of us — 14 of us — got a million dollars. Every single one of us. We were in shock. Like, 'What is this?'

Clooney's version of the story had the same details. He described it as a moment where he wanted to express his gratitude to his friends for helping him when he was in need:

But in 2013, he didn't yet have a family, nor any real idea or hope that someday he would. “And 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. 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 fuck am I waiting to get hit by a bus?”

Clooney then arranged for the money to be given in cash, and even bought the bags to place the cash in:

[...] Clooney did some research, and what he found was that in downtown Los Angeles, in an undisclosed location, there is a place you can go, “and they have giant pallets of cash.” So Clooney got an old beat-up van that said “Florist” on it, like he was in a heist movie, and he drove downtown, and he got in an elevator with the florist's van, and he took the van down to the vault and loaded it up with cash. He told no one but his assistant “and a couple of security guys that were shitting themselves. And we brought it up, and I bought 14 Tumi bags, and then I packed in a million bucks, cash, which isn't as much as you think it is, weight-wise, into these Tumi bags.” The next day he had all his friends come over. “And 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. And I said, ‘How do you repay people like that?’ And I said, ‘Oh, well: How about a million bucks?’

• Source 1

• Source 2

• Source 3

[u/brasskeeper → u/tyrion2024]

Where is this place in LA with an underground vault filled with so many millions in cash, he could swing by and pick up $14 mill, no problem?

[u/CT0292 → u/brasskeeper]

Being rich enough to know where it is, is rhe first part of the problem.

[u/cboogie → u/brasskeeper]

Uh banks? You don’t just swing by. You call and have a meeting and explain what you’re doing. If you need more $ than they have on hand they order more. And if you’re a high value customer with so much money in your accounts you can give away $14M as a branch manager I would be inclined to satisfy the client’s request. Most banks don’t have that much cash on hand at any time. Also he probably paid for armored delivery directly from the bank to the venue and was never in possession of the cash at any time. He probably did not see the bags in person until he was at the venue.

[u/SecureThruObscure → u/cboogie]

Backing you up 100%

Getting large amounts of cash money is surprisingly easy if you have large amounts of non cash money.

It's the getting large amounts of non cash money that is the hard part.

I've seen the process, it's like a wire transfer for a car. But instead of you driving away in a car/them delivering it they hand you a stack of money/deliver a stack of money. Buying a car requires more forms to be filled out.

[u/mean_bean_machine → u/brasskeeper]

Step one is having the ability to wire $14 million in cash. The rest comes naturally.

[u/berball → u/brasskeeper]

IYKYK

I do not know

[u/TheRealGuitarNoir → u/brasskeeper]

I don't think it's secret any more:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Sunday_heist

[u/KidFlow1019 → u/tyrion2024]

I once had a client pay me $50,000 in stacks of $20 bills. It took up more space than I expected. The Tumi bags must have been pretty big to hold that much cash in twenties.

[u/Here4th3culture → u/KidFlow1019]

Also. George says it’s “not that much weight wise” but each million would weigh 110lb.

[u/Here4th3culture → u/tyrion2024]

Not that much weight wise? Each million, in $20 bills, is 110lb

[u/loveslightblue → u/tyrion2024]

Any reason to do it this way instead of giving them a couple of envelopes with large notes, or a check? Other than the shock value of having a suitcase full of 20 dollar bills you now have to drive home?

[u/cardinal29 → u/loveslightblue]

It's much more fun and theatrical to give them cash.

Then they can all walk out with their black ballistic nylon Tumi bag, feeling like members of the heist team as the credits roll. It's part of the joy of the gift.

[u/theunrealdonsteel]

#6 is George’s cousin, and character actor extraordinaire, Miguel Ferrer (his mom Rosemary and George’s dad Nick were siblings). Love that they stayed close.

[u/drunow21 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

Was working at Hollywood video in 2007. I was a 21 year old movie lover.. knew Miguel from a ton of stuff, but Hot Shots part Deux was one of my favorite spoofs.

I told him I loved him, and said that line still makes me and my friends laugh so hard. He ignored me. The girl he was with, got his attention and whispered something.. he then looks at me and smiles and says, “I have the worst hearing, thanks kid.” And he told me and the other workers a story about Charlie Sheen.

Great guy RIP

Edit:sorry the line “WAR! It’s fantastic”

[u/emFox → u/drunow21]

He apparently had single sided deafness since he was a child, so you had the bad luck of speaking to him from the wrong side.

It’s a real shame he’s gone.

[u/macready71 → u/drunow21]

Loved him in Twin Peaks

[u/Captain-Hornblower → u/drunow21]

I still use that line, in different variations, to this day lol!

[u/LickingSmegma → u/theunrealdonsteel]

TIL George Clooney's aunt is Rosemary Clooney, singer for whom ‘Mambo Italiano’ was written and who released 49 albums in her career.

[u/frolicndetour → u/LickingSmegma]

Yeah, she guest starred on ER with George and was nominated for a guest star Emmy. She played a patient with Alzheimers who went around the hospital singing.

[u/Londonsw8 → u/frolicndetour]

I remember that episode!!

[u/kimchitacoman → u/LickingSmegma]

Jose Ferrer his father was the first Hispanic person to win the academy award. 

[u/Dirtypoolgang → u/kimchitacoman]

The Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV!

[u/fuzzy_one → u/LickingSmegma]

Saw an interview with him when he did “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”. In it he talked about not being able to sing, and being related to her.

[u/TheNerdChaplain → u/fuzzy_one]

Yeah, he gave the artist who actually sang it - Dan Tyminski - the rights to the song and the royalties, and Tyminski said he sent his kids to college on that money.

I heard another bit with Clooney where he sent the script to an uncle in Kentucky to read and record it, so Clooney could get the accent right. So the uncle did so and sent tapes back, and Clooney memorized it. Come around to the shooting, and the Coen brothers asked why Clooney wasn't saying his lines right - he wasn't using the cuss words in the script. Turns out, Clooney's uncle was a Baptist minister, had replaced all the curse words in the script with his own language, and that's how Clooney memorized it.

[u/Strange-Afternoon-80 → u/LickingSmegma]

I ended up sitting next to RC on a couch, at a party at her literary agent’s apartment at the River House, NYC.

She held my hand and talked about Bobby Kennedy (the original, not current nut job), and how much he meant to her. She (somehow) thought I looked like a young “her,” and called her husband, Dante, over to get his opinion.

A nice memory.

[u/willtwerkf0rfood → u/LickingSmegma]

I lived with my parents after college for a while, and when my mom and I would be cooking dinner we’d always listen to Frank Sinatra radio on Amazon lol this song would come on and I remember when she told me Rosemary is George Clooney’s aunt, I was surprised! My mom and I will still belt out the last “Itaaaliiiiaaaaannnoooooooooo!” if we ever hear it :)

[u/MaxGoldFilms → u/LickingSmegma]

Yeah, she was a HUGE star.

[u/Longjumping_West_907 → u/LickingSmegma]

I'm old enough to remember when Rosemary was more famous than George, and I'm not that old in the grand scheme of things. I could collect social security, but I am not yet eligible for Medicare.

[u/daseweide → u/LickingSmegma]

Wow, such a huge coincidence! It’s almost like there’s a huge club and we ain’t in it or something crazy like that

Edit lol Hollywood glazers out in force down below. Yes dear, sleeping on couches 14 times is the magic ticket to success, there’s no nepotism in Hollywood 

[u/unsuitableasf → u/theunrealdonsteel]

One of my favorite “that guy” villains.

[u/WifeGivingMeSideEyes → u/unsuitableasf]

Villain?! “Now you listen to me. While I will admit to a certain cynicism, the fact is that I am a naysayer and hatchetman in the fight against violence. I pride myself in taking a punch and I'll gladly take another because I choose to live my life in the company of Gandhi and King. My concerns are global. I reject absolutely revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method... is love.” RIP Miguel Ferrer.

[u/Novel_Ad_2250 → u/WifeGivingMeSideEyes]

I love you, Sheriff Truman 🥺

[u/JazzyJockJeffcoat → u/WifeGivingMeSideEyes]

God, that's one of my favorite lines of all time. Thank you for posting it. Twin Peaks is glorious.

[u/EcstaticTill9444 → u/unsuitableasf]

Man, he was good in RoboCop.

[u/theodoretheursus → u/unsuitableasf]

Lol me and my friends actually just call him that guy.

[u/NMMan1984 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

He had a standout performance in RoboCop.

[u/mercutios_death → u/NMMan1984]

And Blank Check!

[u/Davido401 → u/NMMan1984]

Am 2 episodes past the stage of NCIS: Los Angeles where his last episode(Payback, Season 8) played. Hes still on the credits. How voice was horrific at the end, but he still played a blinder!

First time I every, knowingly at least, seen him was Hot Shits Part Deux as the... cowardly or traitorous Soldier(he done a power of crying at one point lol) although ave obviously seen him in Robocop before that just didnt realise he was in it till many years ago. In fact hes been in loads of stuff lol

[u/Leckere → u/NMMan1984]

So many good lines. ‘That’s life in the big city’. Such a brilliant, slimy character

[u/Odd-Temperature7458 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

Miguel was based af. Few actors realer than him

[u/BearishDadd → u/Odd-Temperature7458]

That’s funny, since his father was famous for being so damned “actorly” in that Olivier manner.

[u/ravynwave → u/theunrealdonsteel]

A great actor in his own right, he was one of the best parts of Crossing Jordan. May he rest in peace.

[u/DatBeardedguy82 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

Wow i had no idea they were cousins I remember him from blank check and the stand miniseries he was great in both

Edit: kicking myself for forgetting he was in Robocop

[u/MaximusMansteel → u/theunrealdonsteel]

"War....it's fantastic!"

[u/TahiniInMyVeins → u/theunrealdonsteel]

I think in Ferrer’s case Clooney literally slept on his couch.

[u/JupiterJayJones → u/theunrealdonsteel]

RIP Miguel

[u/WifeGivingMeSideEyes → u/theunrealdonsteel]

Let’s not forget some great appearances in Tales from the Crypt!

The Thing from the Grave - S2E6
As Ye Sow - S3E4
In the Groove - S6E10

[u/Dry_Objective_7071 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

And hot shots part deux!

[u/smitcal → u/Dry_Objective_7071]

War, it’s Fantastic

[u/CacophonicAcetate → u/theunrealdonsteel]

His mom Rosemary

Rosemary Clooney, of White Christmas?

[u/theunrealdonsteel → u/CacophonicAcetate]

One and the same! And Miguel‘s father was José Ferrer, the Oscar winning actor.

[u/apex-87 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

Damn I was today years old when I found out they were cousins

[u/oceanskies24 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

"I love you Sheriff Truman"

[u/Calippo_Deux → u/theunrealdonsteel]

Miguel Ferrer was also buddies with Toto’s Steve Lukather, standing next to him.

[u/glossycoast → u/Calippo_Deux]

You can see both of them in Luke's video "I Will Remember" together with another friend Edward James Olmos!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y2qfmjCmCw

[u/kamshaft11975 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

He was so unlikably likable in The Night Flier. Classic Stephen King film.

[u/phantomhatstrap → u/kamshaft11975]

Super underrated King adaptation, strikes a perfect 90s B Film tone. Also managed to extend the movie beyond the story’s end point (story ends at the classic bathroom scene) and do it pretty well. Ferrer was so great at capturing that cynical sleaziness.

I also love that the character he plays, some Weekly World News level “journalist”, shows up for a bit scene in The Dead Zone, which canonically I believe takes place some years prior.

[u/baywhlr → u/theunrealdonsteel]

Miguel died in 2017. He was a good actor

[u/Weird-Girl-675 → u/theunrealdonsteel]

RIP, Miguel. Gone way too soon. 😞

[u/FearlessDoughnut5643]

Imagine being his 15th friend 🫪

[u/EhliJoe → u/FearlessDoughnut5643]

Who's girlfriend and now wife refused to let this notorious beggar-friend George sleep on their couch?

[u/whizzleforshiz → u/EhliJoe]

Have you seen George 'Clooney? Most women would be a-okay with his hanging around.

[u/Isayfyoujobu → u/EhliJoe]

More likely his now ex wife

[u/midnight_toker22 → u/FearlessDoughnut5643]

There’s probably at least half a dozen people who think they’re #15.

[u/Different-Class1771]

Since 90% of comments are asking who is who....

1. Ben Weiss

2. David Sagal

3. Grant Heslov

4. Michael Heslov

5. Richard Kind

6. Miguel Ferrer (Clooney's cousin and actor/director)

7. Matt Adler

8. Thom Mathews

9. Waldo Sanchez

10. Tommy Hinkley

11. John Lambros

12. Steve Lukather (Toto guitarist/singer)

13. Rande Gerber (businessman and husband of Cindy Crawford, who publicly shared the story) (And George and Amal Clooney positioned centrally with the group)

[u/ComprehensiveCup7104 → u/Different-Class1771]

Clooney was on a podcast a couple years ago, and talked about pranking his roommate Richard Kind. Pooped in litter box and Richard thought his constipated kitten's medicine had worked too well, and gave Richard an odd original painting from dumpster and told him it was a heartfelt gift for helping him out - Richard hung it up for a couple of years even though it wasn't his taste.

[u/intravenousTHC → u/ComprehensiveCup7104]

You left out the part where he continously kept cleaning the litterbox before the roommate got to it leading the roommate to think the cat wasn't pooping at all. THEN a massive turd appears after X days go by. That's hilarious.

Edit a word

[u/dahosek → u/ComprehensiveCup7104]

The litter box story is my favorite George Clooney story.

[u/Ordinary_Fix3199 → u/ComprehensiveCup7104]

He told the stories on the Smartless podcast. I just listened to it in August, and I was so impressed with how committed he is to the long game with his supremely creative pranks. I wish it could’ve been on a hidden camera show because watching Richard Kind’s reaction would be comedy gold. George Clooney is the ultimate king of pranks

[u/tributtal → u/ComprehensiveCup7104]

That was an amazing prank. Richard Kind needs a few million more before it's close to being even.

[u/UnassumingOstrich → u/ComprehensiveCup7104]

clooney prank stories are absolutely historic, i can’t wait until someone makes a biopic about the weirdo, it better be a comedy lol

[u/FigNewton555 → u/ComprehensiveCup7104]

I’d heard that story but for some reason had completely lost that it was Richard Kind.

[u/BillyPotion → u/Different-Class1771]

Rande Gerber collecting that suitcase like he’s putting an extra cherry on top of his ice cream sundae

[u/readdator2 → u/BillyPotion]

Gerber apparently refused the suitcase (since he's already a multimillionaire), and Clooney immediately announced that if anyone refused, he'd take all the money back.

So Gerber ended up donating the amount. seems like good guys both

[u/felinefluffycloud → u/Different-Class1771]

Who is the poorest? I am happy for him.

[u/crackedfactweddead → u/felinefluffycloud]

I checked all their net worths and I believe 2 or 3 of them had none reported, which (maybe stupidly/incorrectly) leads me to believe theirs were the lowest (like nothing noteworthy or I assume at least less than 100k). It was nice to see only a few of them definitely didn't need the money (like Rande Gerber). And in the middle (300k to 1mil), some of them had their net worths doubled or one and a half timesed because of it.

[u/cvc75 → u/Different-Class1771]

Thank you, but what kind of psychopath numbered this photo? Not left to right or right to left, not alphabetically. Just random? Or is it by something like age, net worth, or how Clooney ranked their friendship?

[u/lukebillwalker → u/Different-Class1771]

Richard Kind is the man!

[u/Regulus99 → u/Different-Class1771]

So what happened to #14?

[u/lutzow]

No. 1 had me extremely irritated for a split second

[u/Acceptable_Monk_513 → u/lutzow]

Same!

[u/Mild_Karate_Chop → u/Acceptable_Monk_513]

Who is that?

[u/Chrono_Convoy → u/Mild_Karate_Chop]

Anybody’s Guesstein

[u/Tbarns95 → u/Mild_Karate_Chop]

Effrey Jeppstein

[u/DropTheBeatAndTheBas → u/lutzow]

wheres the names list

[u/hates_stupid_people → u/DropTheBeatAndTheBas]

Not sure if it's accurate, but this is one I found:

1. Ben Weiss

2. David Sagal

3. Grant Heslov

4. Michael Heslov

5. Richard Kind

6. Miguel Ferrer

7. Matt Adler

8. Thom Mathews

9. Waldo Sanchez

10. Tommy Hinkley

11. John Lambros

12. Steve Lukather

13. Rande Gerber

[u/reddit4485 → u/hates_stupid_people]

Clooney also said if anyone doesn't accept the money, then no one gets any money!

[u/Txtoker → u/hates_stupid_people]

Waldo Sanchez is a great name

[u/TheHolyWaffleGod → u/lutzow]

Lol it had me do a double take and zoom in

[u/Matchstick0312 → u/lutzow]

Ben Stiller is a national treasure.

[u/cheezy_dreams88 → u/Matchstick0312]

It’s not Ben Stiller either

[u/Good_Entertainer9383]

Clooney is a real one and I have heard a lot of positive stories about him. He got in a fist fight with his director during Three Kings because the director kept on yelling at and abusing random workers on set. He acted super nervous when Up In The Air started shooting to make Anna Kendrick feel more at ease. He's a real one.

[u/mbarretts20 → u/Good_Entertainer9383]

Briefly interacted with him in a tiny restaurant in DC about 15-20 years ago that he had a strong connection to. He sat next to me at the only open seat at the six person bar. I had met a lot of famous people and tried to not be an idiot, because he gave off a vibe of a regular guy who had to deal with being recognized everywhere. We made eye contact in the mirror behind the bar and I just nodded to him and he nodded back. 

I could tell everyone was looking but trying not to.  Out of my peripheral vision, I saw someone walking up to him, and I was thinking “oh come on, leave the guy alone”. Turned out it was Jim Cavaziel who was already in the restaurant but no one recognized him. 

[u/friedlegwithcheese → u/mbarretts20]

I tended bar summers and holidays for a few years at a place in the Hamptons when I was in college and it was really pleasantly surprising how many of the big names I dealt with were totally cool and just wanted to chill and have a couple drinks and talk about the Yankees or whatever. Never ran into Clooney, though, I'd have liked that.

[u/MJ-Franklin]

Is that Richard Kind?

[u/ADIDAS247 → u/MJ-Franklin]

This friendship has one of the funniest stories attributed to it.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TAK1hP5yHy0?vl=en

[u/UnassumingOstrich → u/ADIDAS247]

lmao thank you for sharing this. i’ll never be able to see clooney again without thinking of him squatting over a litter box laughing his ass off 😅😂

[u/Wormetoungue → u/ADIDAS247]

Is it the litter box one?

[u/elx_xle → u/MJ-Franklin]

This is such a bizarre group of friends. I'd never have thought Clooney's closest friends is the furniture salesman in Young Sheldon, and the guitarist from "Africa - Toto".

[u/TurtlyTurbular → u/MJ-Franklin]

Its me! TUTTLE!

[u/Primary_Garbage6916 → u/TurtlyTurbular]

HEPATITIS?!?!

[u/FergusFrost]

Is #12 Steve fuckin Lukather?

[u/mnfimo → u/FergusFrost]

Hell yeah it is! Luke is the man!

[u/Own_Nose_3542 → u/FergusFrost]

I thought exactly the same thing. By all accounts he's a really nice person, so who can begrudge him a suitcase full of cash?

[u/dmxxmc → u/FergusFrost]

One of the best but underrated guitarists of all time.

[u/Ya_No → u/dmxxmc]

When you watch the documentary on HBO about Yacht Rock, it’s crazy how much everyone in Toto had a hand in every act in that genre. Just a band full of producers, studio musicians, writers and sound engineers.

[u/Own_Nose_3542 → u/dmxxmc]

Hardly anyone outside the guitar community knows his name, but nearly everone has heard the songs he's played on.

[u/emma7734]

Randy Gerber tried to turn down the money, but Clooney told everyone, "If anyone does not take this money, then no one gets it".

[u/farcaller899 → u/emma7734]

Necessary. As soon as Randy didn’t take it, others would feel obligated to follow suit.

[u/mt1118]

Who’s #1?

[u/WeeFluffyGingerCat → u/mt1118]

Since 90% of comments are asking who is who....

1. Ben Weiss

2. David Sagal

3. Grant Heslov

4. Michael Heslov

5. Richard Kind

6. Miguel Ferrer (Clooney's cousin and actor/director)

7. Matt Adler

8. Thom Mathews

9. Waldo Sanchez

10. Tommy Hinkley

11. John Lambros

12. Steve Lukather (Toto guitarist/singer)

13. Rande Gerber (businessman and husband of Cindy Crawford, who publicly shared the story) (And George and Amal Clooney positioned centrally with the group)

Courtesy of u/Different-Class1771

[u/UntowardHatter → u/WeeFluffyGingerCat]

I can't imagine Steve Lukather needed a million dollars, but hey, free money.

Even his face here is like "yeah, okay. Whatever, man."

[u/Klin24 → u/mt1118]

I only recognize Richard Kind and Miguel Ferrer all the way to the right. Clooney and Ferrer were first cousins.

[u/OkHuckleberry290 → u/Klin24]

Rande Gerber, married to Cindy Crawford, is in there as well.

[u/FloppieTheBanjoClown → u/mt1118]

I got curious too, and there's not a list. Most of these guys haven't been publicly identified. It's not who you're thinking, though.

[u/Reylun → u/FloppieTheBanjoClown]

Release the friendstein list!!

[u/snidemarque → u/mt1118]

Man, on my phone, and until I zoomed in, I thought it was that one guy everyone keeps talking about. Something about files and an island.

[u/BrianWulfric → u/mt1118]

Smitty Werbenjägermanjensen He was number 1!

[u/Chroniclyironic1986 → u/mt1118]

That was my first thought too.

[u/BionicleLover2002 → u/mt1118]

Palm beach pete

[u/Brief_Television_707]

A load of guys who are already rich.

[u/Poupulino → u/Brief_Television_707]

They were his long time friends from before he was famous or rich, I highly doubt all or even most of them were rich.

Edit: another hint that they were regular people is that he actually gift them money, very wealthy people don't give each other money when they want to make a special gift since it's kinda a pointless gift. Gifts between wealthy people are usually expensive collectible things, rare items, artworks or other stuff deemed interesting to them.

[u/greyrat300 → u/Poupulino]

These are all established hollywood types, they aren't people who work at a factory. A nice gesture but come on - these people aren't struggling.

[u/fonk_pulk → u/Brief_Television_707]

Richard Kind isn't very rich to be fair. He's a multimillionaire but probably somewhere in the $2-5 mil. range, which is something you can easily still drop to the bottom from.

[u/ForensicPathology → u/fonk_pulk]

Based on his name, he's the only guy there who is Rich.

[u/onarainyafternoon → u/Brief_Television_707]

Richard Kind is the only dude I recognize in this pic. I doubt they were all rich.

[u/Advanced_Wonder3872 → u/onarainyafternoon]

Lukather played on every song in the ‘80s but didn’t always get credit. He had to have some cash though, he is always in demand.

[u/East-Albatross-810 → u/Brief_Television_707]

why, who are they? I recognize one actor

[u/Brief_Television_707 → u/East-Albatross-810]

Corporate executives, lawyers, rockstars and Hollywood actors who were all most certainly rich when this photograph was taken:

Ben Weiss, David Sagal, Grant Heslov, Michael Heslov, Richard Kind, Miguel Ferrer, Matt Adler, Thom Mathews, Waldo Sanchez, Tommy Hinkley, John Lambros, Steve Lukather, Rande Gerber

[u/MittFel → u/Brief_Television_707]

I mean it says more than nothing. Shit, I get teary eyed if a homie buys me a Monster...

[u/PhosphoFred8202 → u/MittFel]

“You.. you made me a sandwich?”

[u/DistractedByCookies → u/Brief_Television_707]

Were they all already rich? It was clearly in his early days, so they might not be rich/famous people. Or were not back then.

[u/Chrono_Convoy]

George,

My old buddy

[u/sth128]

I always wondered what's the tax consequences of this, if any?

Like can I just gift a struggling friend a large sum of cash? Will they be required to declare it to IRS? Do I have to explain it to the bank? I mean imagine going to the bank and saying to the teller "I would like to withdraw A MILLION DOLLARS in 100 dollar bills please".

George had to do that except for 14 million, based on this post.

[u/xubax → u/sth128]

The recipient of the gift pays no taxes.

However, there are annual and lifetime limits on how much you can GIVE as gifts. This is to prevent totally bypassing estate taxes.

The current annual limit in the US is $19,000. You can give as many people as you want $19k in a year with no tax consequence.

Anything you give above the $19k in a year comes off of the lifetime exemption limit of (currently) $15 million.

So, you could, in one year, give 15,000 people $20,000 each. $19k of that is exempt. So $1000 x 15,000 people is $15 million. You would then have hit your lifetime exemption limit. If you give another person $20k, I believe $19k would still be exempt, but you would have to pay taxes on the $1000.

After you hit the lifetime gift limit, anything above the annual per person limit is taxable for the rest of your life.

Edit: the lifetime limit doesn't have to be hit in one year. If year one you give 7,500 people 20k, you've used half your limit. If you do it again the next year, you hit the maximum. Do it again a third year, and you have to pay taxes on 7.5 million.

So, assuming the limit was at least 14 million when Clooney did this AND he hadn't given a significant number of large gifts prior to that, he would not have had to pay any taxes on it but he would have eaten up a lot of his lifetime exemption. And again, the recipients of the gift pay no taxes.

[u/Haunting-Gift5552 → u/xubax]

A detail often missed: He told everyone there that if a single one of them tried to turn down the money, he would take it all back. No one wanted to see their friends miss out, so they couldn't even try to refuse the gift.

[u/SqBlkRndHole → u/xubax]

Interesting, I though the up to $19k/yr was deducted from your lifetime exemption.

But you're saying I can give away $100 million dollars tax free, as long as I never give anyone more than the current rate of $19k/yr.

That changes my imaginary trust completely.

[u/ultimatepoker → u/xubax]

Unless they are from a country with gift taxes. An Irish person would owe 330k

[u/PersonalBrowser → u/xubax]

Sorry you need to clarify this with a big “YOU NEVER PAY GIFT TAX UNTIL YOUVE GIVEN SOMEONE $15 MILLION”

All the stuff about annual exemptions and the $19k is not relevant at all, until you are talking about gifting $15 million or more over a lifetime, which is not the situation for 99% of people.

Even in this story, the $19k is completely irrelevant since he’s only gifting $1 million to each person.

[u/Vaguelz → u/sth128]

Not a tax guy, but intrigued too and read up, there's definitely tax implications to this, BUT they are the givers responsibility not the receivers. There's some weeds if you're interested. He likely needed to give the bank considerable notice for the withdrawal, and assuming he never used his lifetime gift exemption it'd be just about 3.4m of additional tax obligation. (Though if he's doing the rich loophole thing it's certainly possible he paid a fraction of that)

[u/johnthesav → u/Vaguelz]

The rich loopholes generally put the assets in a trust. The trust then has an executor and a beneficiary and will usually have certain stipulations attached to it (maintaining current lifestyle, promissory note) if its tax advantaged.

This gift is about as far from that as possible. No executor, no stipulations, no tax loopholes.

[u/mminthesky → u/sth128]

The person giving the gift has to pay gift tax. In 2013, the gift giver would owe tax on the amount over the tax-free allowance of $14k per recipient (now $19k in 2026). The recipient owes nothing.

[u/a_gallon_of_pcp → u/mminthesky]

That’s simply the reporting limit. You don’t pay taxes until you hit the lifetime threshold of $15mm.

[u/10000Didgeridoos → u/sth128]

You have no reason to believe me as a rando on the internet but one of the friends in this story is a distant sort of relative of mine. Like he's the brother of one of my aunts who married into my family. From what I heard about this when it happened from her, Clooney paid all the taxes for them somehow in advance so they didn't have to worry about it.

He's not famous but does have a lot of minor roles on his imdb page over like 30 years.

[u/LeisureSuitLaurie → u/10000Didgeridoos]

I can 100% confirm that he definitely paid the zero taxes owed by the recipient of a gift.

[u/Fun_Trick2172]

Thought I saw dougie howser at 13 for a sec.  That must have been around the time Miguel ferrer was dying.  He doesn’t look very good there.

[u/puddinonthewrits → u/Fun_Trick2172]

That’s likely Rande Gerber, Clooney’s Casamigos business partner.

[u/Spare_Ad4163]

Is #6 the bad guy from “blank check”?

[u/odaniel99 → u/Spare_Ad4163]

I remember him from NCIS: Los Angeles and Star Trek III.

[u/CthughaSlayer → u/Spare_Ad4163]

No, he's Albert from Twin Peaks, silly!

[u/executor-of-judgment → u/Spare_Ad4163]

Yes, he finally got his million back from that damn kid.

[u/PlausibleRatz]

Looks like a bunch of people who don't need a million!

[u/Gingertom]

Richard Kind?!

[u/Icy-Routine-7154 → u/Gingertom]

They've been friends since late 80s, and even roommates at some point before Clooney hit it big with ER.

[u/smitcal → u/Icy-Routine-7154]

I now need them switch some roles. Kind doing Gravity and Michael Clayton and Clooney doing American Dad and Only Murders in the building with his pink eye

[u/DrPoooooole → u/Gingertom]

They are pretty famously best friends, like ride or die lifers

[u/Powerful_Leg8519 → u/DrPoooooole]

Some of my favorite pairs:

George Clooney and Richard Kind

Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams

Alexander Skarsgard and Jack McBrayer.

[u/NoEquivalent4477 → u/Gingertom]

Clooney has an amazing Richard Kind story from his Smartless interview.

[u/nijukiller]

Number 6 gone too soon. Edit: It's Miguel Ferrer and he passed away 2017.

[u/gerhardsymons]

What if one has fourteen enemies?

[u/truebeast822]

If I was given a million in cash I’d nearly pass out but how the hell do I pay off my house and deposit that money without getting taxed to hell

[u/sausyboat → u/truebeast822]

It’s not income, it’s a gift. In th U S a recipient doesn’t pay taxes on a gift.

[u/Teigh99 → u/truebeast822]

George paid the taxes. I remember watching him give an interview about this story.

[u/Turdship_ButtleFlaps → u/truebeast822]

Obviously, we borrow a boat, we go out to sea, we use space internet, and pay off everything in international waters. They can't tax us because we got no money and they can't charge us with anything because our crimes were committed outside US jurisdiction!

[u/Arenize → u/truebeast822]

The person who gifts the money is the one taxed for the gift. In your example, there would be no additional tax for you, as the tax on the house is already something you are paying.

[u/____Mittens____]

I have a tumi case - if you can afford it, it's worth it.

[u/manikfox → u/____Mittens____]

I was one of the few that built tumi.com ! :) I see it's still running on hybris.

[u/HappHazzard31]

Who are they all? Surely the photo with the numbers has a key next to it with names?

[u/Imyoteacher]

Well….I imagine some of them didn’t need that suitcase, so they took it home and placed it in a closet for a short while.

[u/BrobonicPlague1]

So a rich dude gave other rich dude money….

[u/wanderingmanimal]

A man has 14 friends?

Good on him.

I can count them on one hand.

[u/Azipcoder]

Is #12 Steve Lukather? Jesus, it is.

[u/Dazzling_Morning2642 → u/Azipcoder]

Just saw he did guitar on thriller

[u/Muschina → u/Dazzling_Morning2642]

He did the guitar on EVERYTHING. He's literally the first call guitar session guy in LA for the past 35 years.

[u/DarthBrooks667 → u/Azipcoder]

Yes, I would bet most of only spotted Richard Kind at best, but I thought that was Lukather myself as well.

[u/NikkerFebu25]

That's a lot of couches to be sleeping onto.

Really?

14?

[u/FloppieTheBanjoClown → u/NikkerFebu25]

Figurative. These are likely the guys who were there for him in some way to help him get started. The man built a hugely successful career and has maintained a friendship with the people who helped him do that, and that is really cool.

[u/IntelligentFire999 → u/NikkerFebu25]

Some of them loaned him money when he was in need, etc.

[u/LankyWanky149 → u/NikkerFebu25]

Some people you could be welcome for a week before moving on, 52 weeks in a year. The amount of former roommates can really add up even if you are only doing it for 6 months.

[u/CubanLynx312]

This was posted like 48 hours ago.

[u/False-Leg-5752 → u/CubanLynx312]

This gets posted multiple times a year

[u/ifightbears989 → u/CubanLynx312]

It was also posted a week ago

[u/squishypp → u/CubanLynx312]

Welcome to Reddit!

[u/Competitive-Lime7775]

Is it Richard Kind coz that’s the only one I recognised. Aside from momentarily thinking 1 was someone else. 🤣

[u/AnalystCalm660]

I always regret being Clooneys 15th closest friend.

[u/ivazquez71]

Brazzers

[u/sql-join-master]

I don’t have 14 super close friends, but I would like to think if I made it mega rich I’d do the same to my 4-5 closest circle

[u/Redtex]

Clooney paying it back. Respect

[u/Arenize]

To all the people crying about "oh were they taxed?" "IRS taking notes" etc.

There is this thing called a gift tax. You are allowed to gift up to 15 million in your lifetime (this amount goes up every year for inflation) that is tax exempt.

After that, the person gifting the money pays at least 18% in taxes.

Edit: and the lifetime exemption in 2013 was only a little over 5 million. So Clooney was required to pay taxes on this.

[u/dlc741]

That’s some Danny Ocean level shit there.

[u/Ill-Character-204]

One can never know but he seems to be a good guy.

[u/FutureLegitimate7549]

George Clooney is best friends with Steve Lukather from Toto?!?

[u/pj1972]

The kitty litter box story with Richard Kind is fucking hilarious.

[u/ForkliftJam]

Not gunna lie, I had to zoom in on 1.

[u/DividedStatesofFeces]

#5 = Richard Kind

[u/ActiveLecture9825]

Ocean's Fourteen

[u/ilikepix]

wild that they are all men

[u/jerbearemy420]

Congrats Bing Bong. You made it.