Whoopi Goldberg, an Oscar-winning actress and long-time host of "The View," recently stated she is not financially prepared to retire. Despite a career spanning decades and a reported net worth of $20 million, the 69-year-old television personality attributed her need to continue working to financial obligations stemming from three previous marriages.
Key Takeaways
- Whoopi Goldberg says she must continue working on "The View" to pay her bills.
- She links her financial situation to not having "married well" after three divorces.
- Despite these claims, Goldberg has a reported net worth of $20 million and a significant real estate portfolio.
- Her property history includes profitable sales of homes in California and current ownership of a large mansion in New Jersey.
Goldberg Cites Financial Pressures
In a recent interview, Whoopi Goldberg addressed rumors about her potential departure from the ABC talk show "The View," where she has been a co-host for 18 seasons. She made it clear that retirement is not an option for her at this time.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Goldberg explained that her financial circumstances require her to maintain her income. She directly connected her situation to the financial outcomes of her past relationships.
"If you don’t marry well, you got to keep working," Goldberg stated.
When it was suggested that her successful Hollywood career should provide enough financial security for retirement, she disagreed. "No, not by now. Not yet. I gotta keep paying those bills, baby," she replied, emphasizing her ongoing financial commitments.
A Different Perspective
Goldberg's co-host, Joy Behar, who joined "The View" in 1997, also confirmed she has no plans to retire. However, Behar cited creative fulfillment as her motivation, stating, "Creative people don’t retire, they don’t resign, they just keep going."
A History of Marriages and Divorces
Goldberg's comments about her finances are framed by her personal history, which includes three marriages that all ended in divorce. Her experience has led her to be outspoken about her views on marriage.
Her first marriage was to Alvin Martin in 1973 when she was 18 years old. The couple had one daughter, Alexandra Martin, before divorcing in 1979. Her second marriage was to cinematographer David Claessen from 1986 to 1988. Her third and final marriage was to union organizer Lyle Trachtenberg, which lasted from 1994 to 1995.
In past interviews, Goldberg has been candid about her belief that marriage is not for her. "Some people are not meant to be married and I am not meant to. I’m sure it is wonderful for lots of people," she told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2010. She later told the New York Times in 2016 that she prefers living alone, explaining, "I’m much happier on my own."
From Public Housing to a Property Empire
Goldberg's financial story began far from her current status. She grew up in the Chelsea-Elliott Houses, a public housing project in Manhattan. She has described her childhood as modest, stating, "We all were poor, and we all knew it, but it somehow didn’t really stop us from doing anything."
After moving to California in the 1970s, she began building a career and, eventually, a substantial real estate portfolio. Her property dealings demonstrate a pattern of long-term investments that have yielded significant returns.
Goldberg's Real Estate Timeline
- 1980s: Purchased a Victorian-style home in Berkeley, California, for $335,000.
- 1990s: Acquired a large property in Pacific Palisades, California, for $2.5 million.
- 2003: Bought a 6,100-square-foot getaway home in Vermont.
- 2007: Purchased a 3,800-square-foot loft in SoHo, New York, for $4 million.
- 2009: Bought her current primary residence, a mansion in New Jersey, for $2.8 million.
Analyzing the Real Estate Investments
While Goldberg points to her divorces as a financial drain, her real estate transactions show considerable success. Two of her California properties, held for several decades, were sold for multi-million dollar profits.
Major California Sales
The Berkeley home she bought for $335,000 in the 1980s was held for 30 years. In 2015, she sold the property for $2 million, representing a substantial gain on her initial investment.
Similarly, the Pacific Palisades estate purchased for $2.5 million in the 1990s was her home for 25 years. She sold it in 2018 for an impressive $8.8 million, more than tripling her investment.
East Coast Holdings
Not all of her property ventures have been as profitable. In 2007, she purchased a full-floor loft in SoHo for $4 million. She sold it just three years later, in 2010, for slightly under $3 million, resulting in a financial loss.
Her current primary residence is a sprawling 9,486-square-foot mansion in New Jersey. Purchased in 2009 for $2.8 million, the home was originally built in 1927 and features eight bedrooms. This property remains the cornerstone of her current real estate holdings, alongside her retreat in Vermont.
Despite her stated need to continue working, Goldberg's history as a property owner shows a clear capacity for long-term financial planning and investment, creating a complex picture of her overall financial health.
