However, many were upset that Winfrey, with a reported net worth of $2.8 billion, and Johnson, reportedly worth $800 million, were asking fans to contribute. Winfrey appeared on CBS Mornings on Tuesday with co-author Arthur C. Brooks to promote their book, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier. During the interview, Winfrey was surprised by the backlash to the fund.

She reflected on the lessons from her book, noting, ‘This is a great point about finding happiness amid online terrorization and vilification. I developed more compassion for young people, thinking about the impact on those who might not know who they are. The online attacks and conspiracy theories distracted from what was most important—helping the people of Maui,’ Oprah explained.

‘The idea for the fund came because I was on the ground, talking to people, figuring out how to help best,’ she said, initially providing ‘material things’ like generators and towels. ‘People wanted their own agency,’ she added, sharing that Gayle King’s son sent her an article about Dolly Parton, who organized a fund to aid victims of the 2017 Gatlinburg fires, raising $12.5 million that was directly given to victims, $1,000 per month.

Dolly hosted a concert, with all proceeds directly given to affected families, many receiving $1,000 from her personally. ‘I thought, Whoa! That’s the idea. Getting money directly into people’s hands,’ Oprah said. ‘Both of us have given to charities our whole lives, so starting the fund with $10 million seemed ideal. We’d follow Dolly’s example and get more people to donate, then distribute directly to people’s bank accounts,’ Oprah explained. ‘I was so excited about it, but the next morning, I faced overwhelming hostility, and I was like, Whoa, what happened here?’ Oprah recounted.

‘Here’s what I want to convey. Initially, many people were asking where to donate. So I decided to provide a place for them to contribute,’ Oprah explained. ‘We’re creating something substantial, and Dolly Parton was right. Giving directly to people is impactful. As of today, 2,200 people have been verified and will receive funds in their accounts from the People’s Fund of Maui,’ Oprah stated, adding that the hostility saddened her about the state of the country.

The Maui wildfires known collectively as the ‘Hawaii Firestorm’ started in early August, primarily on the island of Maui. The fires were attributed to a combination of factors including dry conditions started by a high-pressure area to the north and Hurricane Dora to the south. The fires ravaged the historica area known as Lahaina, with 115 confirmed casualties with 66 people still missing as of Saturday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimated that 2,200 buildings were destroyed in Lahaina, many of which were residential buildings and many others quite historic in nature. The United States Department of Commerce estimated the damage caused by the fires to be upwards of $5.5 billion.

A Maui County update published on Sunday revealed the Lahaina fire is now 100% contained, with 2,170 acres burned. The update also revealed that the Olinda fire was 90% contained, spanning an estimated 1,081 acres.

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