Opera company saves donor the agony of Europe trip

Sometimes the service we provide our donors when we receive their gift is not what you expect. Take the case of Eli Broad, financier, who gave Los Angeles Opera to underwrite the company's first production of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen.

Read about it here in the New York Times: Los Angeles Opera Is Given $6 Million for a 'Ring' Cycle

Why?

Because he knows the Ring Cycle is one of the crowning acheivements of human creativity? Because he wants to push the opera company to ever higher levels of accomplishment? Because he believes great opera can make his community a better place?

Probably.

But here's what Edythe L. Broad (that's Mrs. Eli) said:

"I wanted to see a 'Ring,' and my husband didn't really want to take me to Europe to hear it."

You never know, do you?