Dave Chappelle Reveals Why He Walked Away from Millions

Seven years ago, Dave Chappelle left Hollywood at the peak of his fame.

However, to hear him explain it, he never actually quit his popular Comedy Central TV show, "Chappelle's Show."

"It's worse than that," he told David Letterman. "Listen, here it is: Technically I never quit. I'm seven years late for work."

Chappelle, 40, is returning to comedy with several performances in New York City later this month. Though he has reportedly been living in Ohio for several years, Chappelle also said that he also traveled to Africa briefly, as "there's not too many good hiding places left in America."

However, he realizes what walking away from millions of dollars has done to his public persona.

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"There's not too many people that don't think I'm crazy [for walking away from so much money]," he said. "I'm at a restaurant with my wife, it's a nice restaurant, we're eating dinner. I look across the room, I say, 'You see this guy over here, across the room? He has $100 million.' And we're eating the same entree. So, OK, fine, I don't have $50 million or whatever it was, but say I have $10 million in the bank. The difference in lifestyle is miniscule.'"

"Money is the fuel for choices. Money gives me choices, so it's not nothing, it's something," he continued. "But it's not the end all, be all. There are other things in my life that I did not purchase with money that are very valuable."