Article hero image

Errol Morris Says He Doesn't Deserve His Money. Neither Do You.

Wealthsimple makes powerful financial tools to help you grow and manage your money. Learn more

Wealthsimple is a whole new kind of investing service. This is the latest installment of our recurring series “Money Diaries” where we ask interesting people to open up about the role money has played in their lives.

Get the best stories from our magazine every month

Sign up for our email newsletter

Errol Morris has a core belief about money: he doesn't deserve the money he has. And, furthermore, neither do you. If you have money, he says, you're lucky. Errol Morris, is probably the world's preeminent documentary filmmaker. He has won an Academy Award for his film Fog of War, as well as the MacArthur “Genius Grant” and a Guggenheim fellowship and his film Gates of Heaven was named one of Roger Ebert's “Ten Best Films Ever Made.” So it's not surprising that he has lots of beliefs. And you'll learn about them, and hear many interesting stories like how he used to get evicted from his apartments all the time (before he rather quickly became a millionaire) if you watch our very first Money Diaries video.

Why is Errol Morris the first person to do a video Money Diary?

Recommended for you

  • Wealthsimple Money Diaries: Two Women Helping Families Save and Invest

    Money Diaries

  • Shangela Would Like to Remind You to Tip Your Drag Queen

    Money Diaries

  • Jon Hamm Would Like to Buy a Time Machine

    Money Diaries

  • How I was Conned by the “Fake German Heiress”

    Money Diaries

Our “Money Diaries” series is meant to tell human stories. You know, interesting people opening up about how money has affected their lives. (See, it's right up there in the fine print above!) Why do we care? Because, whether they admit it or not, everyone cares. Everyone's curious about other people's money, everyone's voyeuristic, everyone's worried, and ashamed, and proud, and avaricious. So yes, the stories are fun. And money is also a nifty prism through which to tell your life story — successes, failures, brushes with disaster. But that's not really why we do it, either.

MEET WEALTHSIMPLE

Wealthsimple is a new kind of financial company

Invest, trade, save, spend, and even do your taxes in a better, simpler way.

inline cta

We really do “Money Diaries” because we believe people should talk more openly about money. We'd all be smarter, more informed, less anxious, and less prone to make the same mistakes over and over if we did that. It was the idea of our first unscripted ad campaign, “Investing for Humans.” And when we had that idea, we had a wish list of one director who would have unparalleled skill at getting regular people to open up and talk about money: Errol Morris. We also thought he'd make a fantastic subject himself. So we got Errol's son Hamilton — himself the host of a documentary-style show on Vice — to ask him all the personal money questions we would have been too chicken to ask ourselves.

We're happy to report the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Wealthsimple uses technology and smart, friendly humans to help you grow and manage your money. Invest, save, trade, and even do your taxes in a better, simpler way.

Money Diaries

"I WAS WORKING AT A VEGAN BODEGA WHEN MY VIDEO WENT VIRAL."

Awkwafina Tells Us the Money Secrets of Viral Fame

subscribe

Get the best stories from our magazine every month

Sign up for our email newsletter

  • Money Diaries

    It’ll Work Itself Out (It Actually Won’t)

    He’d finally achieved what he’d always wanted. He was a writer, in New York, people knew his name. But under his bed was a plastic bin that contained — in the form of bills and notices — another man entirely. An addict and a debtor. And that man had come calling.

  • Money Diaries

    Anthony Bourdain Does Not Want to Owe Anybody Even a Single Dollar

    Before he was the guy from Parts Unknown, he was 44, never had a savings account, hadn't filed taxes in 10 years, and was AWOL on his AmEx bill. That turned out to be a great financial education.

  • MEET WEALTHSIMPLE

    A new kind of financial company

    Invest, trade, save, spend, and even do your taxes in a better, simpler way.

    see-more cta
  • Money Diaries

    Jeff Tweedy Was Smart About Money So He Didn’t Have to Think About It

    The Wilco frontman talks about safeguarding his creative process, his allergy to debt, and why he always rejected big record advances.

  • Money Diaries

    Friends with Money: Taylor Rooks

    The woman who emerged from last year’s NBA bubble season as one of sports media’s biggest star talks about navigating business as a woman, being transparent about how much she makes, and the rest of her money story.

MEET WEALTHSIMPLE

A new kind of financial company

Invest, trade, save, spend, and even do your taxes in a better, simpler way.

GET STARTEDright arrow icon

Our best stories, once a month.

Sign up for our newsletter

The content on this site is produced by Wealthsimple Technologies Inc. and is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be investment advice or any other kind of professional advice. Before taking any action based on this content you should consult a professional. We do not endorse any third parties referenced on this site. When you invest, your money is at risk and it is possible that you may lose some or all of your investment. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Historical returns, hypothetical returns, expected returns and images included in this content are for illustrative purposes only. By using this website, you accept our (Terms of Use) and (Privacy Policy). Copyright 2023 Wealthsimple Technologies Inc.