NBA forward Michael Porter Jr. questioned why some billionaires continue working long hours and dealing with stress despite already having more money than they could ever need.
Porter, who has frequently discussed his Christian faith, believes financial success does not necessarily mean someone is making the best decisions in life.
He argued that people who are considered highly intelligent and successful by society may have different priorities from those encouraged by their religious beliefs.
“In the world we live in, sometimes the smartest people, in the lens of God’s perspective and the way he’s made things to work, are almost the dumbest people.”
The former Denver Nuggets forward used billionaires as an example, questioning why individuals who have already accumulated enormous wealth continue putting themselves under pressure to earn even more money.
According to Porter, constantly pursuing additional wealth makes little sense when someone already has enough money to live comfortably for the rest of their life.
“You look at the billionaires in the world. Why are you a billionaire and you’re still working all day, stressed out all day just to make another couple million dollars. That doesn’t make sense. I think it goes back to those people are very smart in in the world’s eyes and they’ve accomplished a lot, but in God’s eyes, none of it is eternal. You can’t take any of it with you.”
Porter explained that his perspective comes from his religious beliefs, particularly the idea that material possessions have no value after death.
He suggested that people who focus primarily on accumulating wealth may overlook opportunities to use their resources to help others.
The NBA forward also discussed tithing, the religious practice of giving a portion of one’s income to a church or charitable causes.
He acknowledged that some people might struggle to understand why someone would voluntarily give away 10% of their earnings.
“I think for a lot of people when it comes to even tithing your money, some worldly people will look at that as like, ‘What? Why would you give 10% of your wealth away to other people?’ But in God’s eyes, it’s because you can’t take any of it with you and you can be a blessing to other people and you will get rewarded in heaven for what you do on earth.”
