We should all live up to the commitments we make, right?  Our parents taught us that from an early age.  Especially when it comes to giving back. Sure, something sometimes happens that precludes us from fulfilling those obligations.  So we looked at a few high profile individuals who made commitments that didn’t end up exactly how they were proposed in the beginning.

Let’s take a look…

Meg Whitman

Meg Whitman, former president and CEO of EBay, and a gubernatorial candidate in California funded her family Foundation in 2006 with $39M.  Yet despite her public declaration to spend most of 2008, after her eBay retirement, working for the Foundation, it still has no Mission Statement.  The only monies that can publicly be found to have left the Foundation was around $300,000 to fight her opponents over Delta fish and another $3M wired to tax haven Cayman Islands as well as a bit to the Bahamas.  Jump forward to 2010 and we find Ms. Whitman has already self-funded her campaign to the tune of $68 million. The impressive figure shows extreme dedication and a ‘whatever it takes’ attitude.  Wish she would have used that drive…and money to help others win in life, not just her passion for winning her election.

Tyra Banks’ TZONE Foundation

Tyra Banks’ Los Angeles-basedFoundation was set up altruistically enough – to help disadvantaged teenage girls and to empower young women. Yet in 2006 the organization blew through more cash on salaries and internal costs than it gave out in grants to community groups. TZONE also listed questionable tax deductable expenses for “employee benefits”.

Madonna

One of Hollywood’s more controversial celebrities, Madonna gives money and time largely to two causes: Kabbalah, the ancient practice of Jewish mysticism, as well as to orphans in Malawi, one of the world’s poorest nations. The queen of pop underwent a lot of scrutiny whilst fast-tracking her adoption of a boy from Malawi.  But to her credit she went on to found Raising Malawi, and has continued to support Make A Wish, and the American Foundation for Aids Research.  So, while her methods have raised eyebrows, Madonna has also raised awareness and five and a half million for her charities. For the future, we can only hope that Madonna and Raising Malawi will make certain that the funds are well spent.

Larry Ellison

Listed by Forbes as the sixth richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $28 billion, Larry Ellison is the former CEO of Oracle and self-proclaimed do-good philanthropist. turned out to be a little less generous than touted.   After selling nearly $1 Billion of Oracle stock resulting in an insider trading lawsuit, Ellison was allowed to donate $100 million of it to his own charitable Foundation, all without admitting any wrongdoing.  Ironically, a California judge refused to allow Oracle to pay Ellison’s $24M in legal fees. More recently, Ellison announced that he would not honor his earlier pledge of $115 million to Harvard University, claiming the departure of former President, Larry Summers, relieved him of the obligation.

Wyclef Jean: Yele Haiti Foundation

The most recent charitable controversy arose after the devastating earthquake in Haiti when an Associated Press review of tax returns and independent audits provided by Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation showed that it was (too) closely intertwined with Jean’s businesses. It seems that a portion of the funds that were to be dedicated to the Haitian people were being used in non-related areas. Jean has since stated that he had never profited personally through his work with the organization, and that he has committed significant amounts of his time and money to the charity.  Despite the speculation, Yele Haiti still managed to raise $1.5M for the earthquake victims from Americans donating $5 through text messages, and will continue their efforts to support and rebuild the Haitian community.

PETA- Pamela Anderson, Lea Michelle

Pam Anderson, a former spokesperson for PETA’s “I’d rather go naked”… campaign, is a perfect example of a celebrity endorsement gone sour. Her Ambassadorship for PETA didn’t stop Anderson from sporting Uggs, driving her leather-seated car, or from becoming a spokesperson for Vivienne Westwood- who uses leather and feathers in her lines. More recently, Khloe Kardashian was also spotted wearing fur after committing to her role as their fur-free spokesperson.  Let’s just hope that Glee cutie, Lea Michelle, will make PETA proud by positively representing their fur-free efforts as their most recent spokesperson… because in our opinion, if you’re going to be a public spokesperson for a cause, you have an obligation to set an example.