Would you turn down $11 million dollars?
Dr. Ryuta Kawashima has – he’s the “brains” behind the incredibly popular Brain Age games for the portable Nintendo DS system. If you’ve ever played these addictive puzzlers, you’ve seen a digital version of the bespectacled professor, who guides you through the various mental exercises designed to sharpen your brain.
Dr. Ryuta Kawashima has – he’s the "brains" behind the incredibly popular Brain Age games for the portable Nintendo DS system. If you’ve ever played these addictive puzzlers, you’ve seen a digital version of the bespectacled professor, who guides you through the various mental exercises designed to sharpen your brain.
"Not a single yen has gone in my pocket," asserts Dr. Kawashima in a recent interview with Agence France-Presse.
The terms of his agreement with his employer, Japan’s Tohoku University, state Kawashima could take half of the $22 million royalties, with the school receiving the other half. But Kawashima typically uses royalties from his work to fund more research.
"My hobby is work," Kawashima said. "Everyone in my family is mad at me but I tell them that if they want money, go out and earn it."
What would YOU do?
Filed Under: Games
what can I say? the Japanese are some of the weirdest people I've known (I meant that as a compliment rather than a derogative pun) but then again, I guess the guy is a rarity in our corporate-flowing modern society who doesn't take things for granted; that's what makes him 'cool'.
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Good for him!
And mgmt, that's not a pun in any sense of the word.
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This guy is a rare commodity… one who is actually happy with hislife and doesnt want more
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It's painfully obvious to me that he doesn't actually PLAY the games that he invented. Looks like his brain – at least the life-balance part of it – needs a little more development.
At least he admits everyone in his family is "mad" at him. I'm sure his wife has some choice words for his, um, strategy.
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I really don't know very many people that would turn down 11 million. Thats quite a bit of money. I sure wouldn't turn it down.
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I guess he does have brains and in contrast not brain-washed like the rest of the world and like other heads of corporations. The wealth he possess cannot be seen by the Brainless world – who are the instigators of wars, conflict, poverty, ego, etc. I would say he is a kind of Buddha.
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He hasn't exactly turned it down. He's simply taken it and reinvested it. It is very possible he could make it back and then some. Quite a bit different than throwing it away.
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Marshall has a good point, sounds like he did take the money and used it for his reseach hobbie (instead of putting the money in his pocket.) And I agree with Dr.Kawashima's comment to his family.
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As I recall, the tax laws in Japan were much worse than ours on big salaries so it might have been in the prof's best interest to give the money away as it were instead of keeping it. After all, he is still working in a job that pays him quite well and with this "hobby" they won't be letting him go anytime soon. Smart man…
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ya I played the game for a day or 2 and then the novelty wore off real quick. It was way over hyped and i can see why he knows it would be a shame to accept so much money for so little effort
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Maybe he is already well off, and don't need the money.
Good for him.
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It just goes to show us all, money is not that power-house as its' seem to be. But the dignity of one man can give hope to the less-fortune and still have a decent mind to play with the world and have fun with it.
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Huncher is full of it! Just cause you don't like the game is no reason to belittle someone else's work.
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Well thats good for him.I Look at it this way if he ever gets sick or has money troubles. Dont ask your family for help or even the place you work are they going to help you for the rest of your life or your family ? I dont think so ?
Would Bill Gates turn down that money. I dont think so ! Why ? This is why.Most anyone else would take it and help out their family or friends. Is your job or work going to be there tomorrow, next year, when they find someone else smarter than you. Think about it ?
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I agree with carmi, he does need some more brain development (for the real life side of his brain). But, he is a very, what are the correct choice of words, non-money-hungry man, which is very virtuous and stuff. But, he really should have put it into charity iff he wanted to be budah.
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To the stupid people with small brains who are so materialistic, go get a life. This guy doesn't want the money, but he can use it to further his work in order to acheive something and write his name in history. These scientists and researchers are the good guys that make breatkthroughs that make things like your CPU's and LCD's, so that they can get the satisfaction from acheiving something while you guys just drool mindlessly over this stuff and just want money to buy whatever. So if you are a mindless consumerist, at least have some decency and appreciate these guys.
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Easy there Hamad. Are you walking around naked? That's a scary thought but I take it you are not therefore why do you need clothes? they're materials. Why don't you just moved to the mountian? you don't need a cell phone you can use smoke signals to communicate…. Oh I see you need to vent on a tangible consumeristic product like a computer.
Hamad, the money that mindless consumers pay for these such products fund the next products development and production. Do you not understand that?
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This guy is not a rocket scientist…not sure why he's being touted a hero. Sure, he is dedicated to his company and his research because that's the life he chose and honour to that choice is so important, but don't be fooled. You don't think for one second that this guy and his famly doesn't have everything and anything they desire to live a comfortable life. Quid Pro Quo….you do for us and we'll take care of our own.
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Good for him! Its refreshing to see people like that turn down such a large sum. Money really is the root of all evil if you look at it, so I agree with Marshall.
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If I somehow obtained that kind of money, I'd share it with my family members who do not have much money and other poor people of the world. I'd re-invest some back into the research. Perhaps his family is already well-off enough they don't need that kind of money so that's why he re-invested it. It would be nice all the same if all money-rich people spread their money to the money-poor more often – maybe we'd have much more prosperity in the world than we do now as more people could create…
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