Tamara tightfist!
I can only spare £2k to help friend with cancer... ...Says heiress with £1m crystal bath
SHE’S one of the richest women in the world, but Tamara Ecclestone is at the centre of a social media storm after donating a mere £2,000 to a former school friend who is trying to fund life-saving cancer treatment.
Tamara, who lives in a £70million house and is due £500million from her father Bernie’s recent sale of F1, angered hundreds of people when she posted a photo of the friend, Rosalie Marshall, on her Instagram page.
Rosalie, a mother of two, is battling an aggressive form of breast cancer and trying to raise £50,000 for a course of anti-cancer injections not available on the NHS.
Alongside the photo, Tamara wrote: ‘Please donate whatever you can to help her receive a treatment only available in Germany. She is not too far from her target and anything you donate would be so appreciated,’ and proceeded to donate £2,000.
But immediately Tamara faced a backlash from followers, who accused the multi-millionairess of being stingy.
The first comment said: ‘Why don’t you just give her the money? You have it.’ Another asked: ‘She’s your friend? Surely 20k wouldn’t go amiss?’ And one suggested: ‘Just sell two of your bags and that would pay for it,’ a reference to Tamara’s collection of £20,000-a-pop Hermes Birkin bags. The comments then got nastier, with one Instagram user saying: ‘I would find it offensive if my billionaire friend shared my story but didn’t offer to pay for the treatment. You have the power to save your friend’s life, why are you here posting it on Instagram when you should be on the phone paying for her treatment?’
Tamara often flaunts her lavish lifestyle online and she admitted in her Channel 5 documentary, Billion Dollar Girl, that her crystal bath tub alone is worth £1million.
Tamara’s husband Jay Rutland waded in to defend his wife, writing: ‘My wife, even with her wealth, cannot help them all… since you appear to all have brains the size of a pea, let me just ask you a simple question. If you have ever put a pound into a charity box, then why didn’t you put in more? You can all afford more. So why only a pound? And did anyone then abuse you for only putting in a pound? Ultimately we should all be able to donate what we feel comfortable about donating without fear of being berated for it.’
Rosalie added that she was thrilled with the amount and the awareness that Tamara had generated. Tamara herself declined to comment.
It’s an interesting debate… and I am undecided. But I wonder if Tamara will lend me a tenner?