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AIBU?

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Original poster

'Huge' money in the UK is considered 'pitiful' in the US?

40 replies

Bunbry · 26/01/2025 00:30

Just checking the news - foolishly in the Daily Mail - but was surprised to see the difference between UK and US versions of a story:

UK: Sinead O'Connor leaves huge sum of money to her children in her will - as she urges them to 'milk her music for what it's worth' in final wishes

US: Sinead O'Connor's cause of death is revealed as she leaves pitiful sum to her children

So, that's my question - what Sinead earned, spent and saved were her concerns alone, I'm just wondering if, together with one of the lowest state pensions in Europe, some of the highest marginal rates of tax and poor public services, our media is gaslighting us on wages and wealth.

YABU: High earners in the UK are rewarded similarly to those in other countries

YANBU: Stagnant wages and standards of living have fallen well behind our neighbours and allies

Sinead O'Connor leaves £1.7m to children as final wishes are revealed

The Irish singer tragically passed away, at age 56 in London on July 26, 2023 - just 18 months after her beloved 17-year-old son Shane Lunny took his own life.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-14325361/Sinead-OConnor-cause-death-children.html

OP posts:
CulturalNomad · 26/01/2025 01:00

So sineads estate seems small for someone who was so famous

Famous, but not necessarily a high earner for many decades now. Was she playing large venues? Recording music that sold well commercially? Writing songs that were recorded by other artists and receiving royalties?

febmayjune87 · 26/01/2025 00:53

Overtheatlantic · 26/01/2025 00:47

£1.4 million for Sinead O’Connor would be viewed as a paltry amount in the U.S. She had a 35 year career.

This! She was around a long time. I have a normal Job in the south east. My estate is probably about 800k. (House price rises and what not, I'm not cash rich"

So sineads estate seems small for someone who was so famous

Pallisers · 26/01/2025 00:50

This is a Daily Mail issue.

I live in the US. For the vast majority of people a 1.4 million dollar (or pound) estate would be considered a huge inheritance.

A 1.4 million estate does seem to be low for an internationally known artist. There are people living near me who owned plumbing businesses who will leave more. But it is not really surprising considering how precarious the musical/artistic world is.

CulturalNomad · 26/01/2025 00:49

I don't think most people in the US would refer to that amount as "pitiful". Typical mean-spirited tabloid click bait.

Wages tend to be higher overall in the US but the COL is generally higher as well. I suspect it more or less evens out dependent upon what area of the country you live in.

Overtheatlantic · 26/01/2025 00:47

£1.4 million for Sinead O’Connor would be viewed as a paltry amount in the U.S. She had a 35 year career.

LilacOpal · 26/01/2025 00:46

We're now so accustomed to hearing celebrities raking in tens of millions of dollars annually that 1.7 million pounds sounds less than one might expect for a singer of her calibre. Ordinary Americans wouldn't sniff at such an amount it's still a sizeable inheritance it's just in the context of the celebrity world it sounds low. That's my take on it.

samarrange · 26/01/2025 00:43

Both of the links in the OP go to the same page. But in any case, I'm not going to decide what is a large or small amount of money based on the imagination of a tabloid subeditor who is evaluated entirely on how many people they can get to scroll down to the first advert.

Original poster
Bunbry · 26/01/2025 00:42

My post has become rather academic, the Mail have now amended the UK headline. It was just jarring to see how they addressed the amount - a lot more than I have - in the two countries.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bunbry · 26/01/2025 00:40

Lettucepray1 · 26/01/2025 00:36

YABU, the Mail doesn’t say it’s a huge sum.
It says her estate was ‘reduced to’ 1.4m.
There is no shortage of high earners in the UK.

They used 'pitiful' in the US headline and called it a 'huge sum' in a UK one. I now see that they've amended the UK version.

OP posts:
Mrsbloggz · 26/01/2025 00:37

Afaik the US has far worse inequality. I think it's to do with wanting to put the UK down so that people in the US feel lucky by comparison

snowflakelake · 26/01/2025 00:37

As a Brit living in the USA you need a much bigger salary to cover healthcare, utilities and food.
Many states are fire at will.
There is also a significant difference between rich and poorer people here.
You are trying to compare apples and pears.

Lettucepray1 · 26/01/2025 00:36

YABU, the Mail doesn’t say it’s a huge sum.
It says her estate was ‘reduced to’ 1.4m.
There is no shortage of high earners in the UK.

EconomyClassRockstar · 26/01/2025 00:36

I live in the US and would say a relatively young and kind of unexpected death leaving over 2 million dollars is pretty amazing.

timetodecide2345 · 26/01/2025 00:34

I don't give a monkeys fart how the uk compares to the us.

In just about every quality of life index the US are at the bottom of the table.

FacingTheWall · 26/01/2025 00:34

It’s all relative to the country you live in though. My wages would be pitiful if I had to live in the states, but I don’t, and my outgoings aren’t as high as they would be there. DS earns very little but manages to live in one of the most expensive cities in Europe. Wages only need to keep pace with where the wages are being paid.