Rich and famous people who just won't retire
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The famous faces who are still working
While most of us look forward to giving up work in our later years, there are many who love working so much they never plan to retire. Click or scroll through the famous faces who have postponed a leisurely retirement and carried on doing their jobs well into their golden years. All dollar amounts in US dollars.
Sir Paul McCartney, 78
At 78, Sir Paul McCartney is still as active as ever. The former Beatles and Wings frontman is producing plenty of music and performing on sell-out tours out of pure enjoyment – he certainly doesn't need the money.
The Rolling Stones, 73-79
Likewise, Sir Mick Jagger, 77, and his Rolling Stones bandmates – Keith Richards (77), Charlie Watts (79) and Ronnie Wood (73) – continue to put out albums and embark on world tours that generate millions in ticket sales. They frequently say in interviews they have no plans to give it all up.
David Hockney, 83
Britain's greatest living artist, David Hockney, who turned 83 last July, says he carries on working because it makes him feel young. The Pop Art painter, printmaker and photographer is as prolific and busy as ever, with an exhibition of works Hockney has made on an iPad during the pandemic set to open at the Royal Academy in London in May this year.
Roger Penske, 84
Motor racing heavyweight Roger Penske may have retired from racing cars in 1965, but his career as a racing team owner is still ongoing. The 84-year-old is chairman and CEO of his eponymous company and has absolutely no intention of throwing in the towel.
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Donald Sutherland, 85
In a career that spans nearly 60 years, Canadian star Donald Sutherland is a true veteran of the acting profession. But the 85-year-old, who has been nominated for eight Golden Globe Awards, and won two for TV films Citizen X and Path to War, is showing no signs of slowing down, and was recently seen in TV series The Undoing alongside Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.
Dame Maggie Smith, 86
Like many of her fellow dames, Maggie Smith has no time for retirement. The 86-year-old Downton Abbey star admitted in a 60 Minutes interview in the US that working helps her overcome feelings of loneliness. Dame Maggie has several film projects in the pipeline.
Dame Judi Dench, 86
Illustrious British actress Dame Judi Dench, who is also 86, considers retirement a rude word and wants to carry on working as long as she can to keep her mind sharp. Her latest projects include the recent Cats film, an adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musical, lockdown TV series Staged, and she has several other films in the pipeline.
Giorgio Armani, 86
Giorgio Armani has vowed to carry on working until he drops. The 86-year-old Italian designer still controls the fashion empire he founded in 1975 and has the energy of a man decades younger.
Carmen Dell’Orefice, 89
One of the world's oldest working models, Carmen Dell’Orefice still parades down catwalks and appears in magazine editorials. Now 89, the American beauty appeared on the cover of American Vogue at the age of 15, so she's been modelling for an astonishing 74 years.
Warren Buffett, 90
Now 90, investor extraordinaire Warren Buffett still rises at 6.45am on weekdays and spends a full day in the office, reading mostly. Buffett devotes 80% of his working day to reading everything from newspapers to financial reports. While the coronavirus pandemic has forced the 'Oracle of Omaha' to follow this schedule from home, Buffett is showing no signs of taking a backseat and in his latest letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders he failed to name a successor.
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Rupert Murdoch, 90
Australia-born media mogul Rupert Murdoch has created a global empire of newspapers, and TV and radio stations. As chairman of Fox Corporation, which broadcasts America's Fox News and has the NFL contract, and News Corp, which owns titles such as the Wall Street Journal and The Times, Murdoch is a dominant force in the media and has weathered many storms along the way including a phone hacking scandal. After turning 90 this March he doesn't look to be slowing up anytime soon. While he has handed some control to his children, and son Lachlan (pictured on the left of his father) now runs Fox, the head of the family is still firmly in the driving seat for now.
Clint Eastwood, 90
Clint Eastwood turned 90 last May and has no desire to stop working. The actor and filmmaker directed The 15:17 to Paris movie adaptation that came out in February 2018, and he starred in The Mule, which was released at the end of that year. In a recent interview the five-time Oscar winner said that retirement wasn't an option after his father's experience: "All he ever dreamed about was retiring. And so he did, around 60. He didn't last very long."
Daphne Selfe, 92
British model Daphne Selfe, who at 92 is even older than Carmen Dell'Orefice, returned to work in the fashion industry at the age of 70 after her husband died. She even received the Guinness Book of Records title of Oldest Professional Fashion Model in 2014. Selfe is still getting plenty of jobs and has modelled for Dolce & Gabbana and TXMaxx over the years.
Queen Elizabeth II, 94
While the Duke of Edinburgh retired in 2017 at the age of 96, the Queen is still working at 94. It seems that Her Majesty has no intention of abdicating, but these days she performs fewer investitures, no longer makes visits abroad, and in 2017 passed on the patronages of 25 charities to her children and grandchildren.
Sir David Attenborough, 94
Legendary nonagenarian naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who shudders when he hears the word 'retire', continues to present nature documentaries for the BBC. There are rumours the BBC is looking to emulate the success of 2006's Planet Earth and its 2017 sequel Planet Earth II with another follow-up before Attenborough turns 100. And the pandemic has not held the 94-year-old broadcaster back as a documentary series Extinction: The Facts, which looks at the impact of impact of climate change on the planet, was released in 2020, and he started filming a new series The Green Planet in October 2020. It is set to hit TV screens in 2022.
Dick Van Dyke, 95
Infamous for his hilarious attempt at a London accent in the original Mary Poppins movie, Dick Van Dyke made a cameo in the sequel, which hit the cinemas at the end of 2018. Last year he voiced a character in the US TV series Kidding, and is set to star in Capture the Flag although COVID-19 is likely to have delayed production. The 95-year-old actor has been working continuously since the 1940s.
Dame Angela Lansbury, 95
Another dame who just can't stop working, Angela Lansbury starred in Murder She Wrote when she was in her 60s and 70s, and the much-loved star recently appeared in the Mary Poppins sequel.
Betty White, 99
Though she is best known for her role in The Golden Girls, a comedy series about retirees sharing a house in Florida, 99-year-old Betty White has zero plans to retire. At 88 she was the oldest host of Saturday Night Live, but she hasn't stopped there. The hard-working comedian and actor has appeared in several recent shows and films including Toy Story 4, and has a number of projects in the pipeline, including a documentary about her own life.
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