That’s Ludicrous

"Which One Does Not Belong" is one of The Teller’s favorite games. C’mon, you remember playing as a kid and choosing the oddball from a list. Orange, grape, asparagus and apple… which one doesn’t belong? So, it was fun choosing who didn’t belong on a list of 10 public figures "who embrace qualities of the mindful consumer" we recently got our hands on in the B&T newsroom.

The financially savvy Suze Orman, the iconic Oprah Winfrey and billionaire (but extreme philanthropist) Warren Buffet all made the list, and probably deservedly so. But perhaps when Andrew Benett and Ann O’Reilly, co-authors of "Consumed: Rethinking Business in an Era of Mindful Spending," were rounding out the list to promote their upcoming book, they blanked on No. 10?

The Teller thinks so. How else to explain who ended up in that spot?

Coming in at number 10 is (drumroll, please)… Ludacris: not your average rapper. You know Ludacris, also known as Luda, who raps about money makers, right? And no, we’re not talking about an actual money maker that prints currency in the basement. In his 2006 hit, he repeatedly encourages you to "shake" your money maker. Yes, that’s advice from one of the most influential financial role models, who’s most recent single is entitled "Sex Room" and who has been known to brag about the number of, umm, "female friends" he has scattered in different area codes across the country.

Sure, he’s donated $1.5 million to support youth organizations and has devoted his time to help communities, including his hometown of "Hotlanta." He even owns a hybrid (unknown if it is a convertible equipped with 20-inch wheels, as he described in his hit "Roll Out") and is installing solar panels on his home (no doubt to provide extra juice to the aforementioned sex room…).

But placing Ludacris on a list with people like Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, which is donating $20 million this year through the Pepsi Refresh Project? That is just plain ludicrous.