Brain Age Doc Kawashima Ain’t Getting Rich Quick

By choice.

Personally, I think the Doc needs a check-up. Here’s Nintendo, raking in millions of dollars of profit thanks, in part, to the fuel that the Brain Age craze injected into Nintendo DS sales. The little handheld that could is the top selling system by a long shot and yet Dr. Kawashima, the happy, tutoring face in the game, isn’t interested (and his family ain’t happy about it). He told AFP in an interview that “not a single yen has gone in my pocket…Everyone in my family is mad at me, but I tell them if they want money, go out and earn it.”

Just how much as Kawashima turned down? Well considering that up to 50% of the royalties could have been him, that means his take could have been as high as $22 million dollars at this point in time. He insists that he’s happy with the $100K salary he’s earning and has given over any excess money from royalty cheques to his employer — Tohoko University.

You know, I love my job too, and work, to a certain extent, is also my hobby, but for no reason and certainly for no employer (or personal moral quandry) would I even divest myself of millions of dollars. I guess I’m just not as selfless as some.

Via | GameSpot