Sting, one of the world’s most successful rock stars, has made it clear his children will also have to earn their own way and should not expect to benefit from his £180 million earnings.
In a frank interview in the Mail on Sunday Event magazine, the former Police frontman said he expected his three sons and three daughters to work, and added that there would not be much left to inherit anyway.
Sting, 62, who still has more than 100 people on his payroll, said: "I told them there won’t be much money left because we are spending it! We have a lot of commitments. What comes in, we spend, and there isn’t much left."
He added: "I certainly don’t want to leave them trust funds that are albatrosses round their necks. They have to work. All my kids know that and they rarely ask me for anything, which I really respect and appreciate. Obviously, if they were in trouble I would help them, but I’ve never really had to do that. They have the work ethic that makes them want to succeed on their own merit."
Sting is not the only celebrity who expects their children to stand on their own feet. Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson said a few years ago: "I am determined that my children should have no financial security. It ruins people not having to earn money."
"I came up in an era of playing pubs for ten quid each and going back night after night," he said. The Police exploded into the charts with Roxanne in 1979 and went on to have five No. 1 records. When it comes to overnight stars like Justin Bieber, he says he’s glad he had to work from the ground up to get his rewards.
"If it had all been handed to me on a plate, I’m not sure I would appreciate it or have survived. These days you can become an international superstar overnight with a video aged 18 or 19, but I don’t envy them. I don’t know how you cope with that without another life with which to compare it. I had a job, a mortgage and children. I was a tax worker! It’s not about fame – anyone who wants fame needs their head examined – it is about happiness."
The interview coincided with preparations for Sting's 'The Last Ship' — a piece of musical theatre close to his heart — his own project — his own life. ‘The Last Ship’ opens on Broadway on October 26 (previews from September 29).
{youtube}621JCAh2V3U{/youtube}
