Do the Math: Does Crime Pay?

Let's do some math, together. It'll be fun.

The median household income for an American family in 2004 was about $44,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. How long would it take for this family to accumulate (before taxes) $750,000?

The answer: It would take almost 17 years for this family to amas this much money.

$750,000, by the way, is reportedly the low end of the figure that Paris Hilton may be getting from NBC for the exclusive rights to her first interview after she gets out of jail. Well, that's IF you believe Barbara Walters at ABC. (NYT article here.)

The Hilton family, as well as NBC, denies that any money is changing hands.

I really don't know who to believe, but I tend to think that the real agreement with NBC included some things that NBC News would not like to be made public. When NBC says that they never pay for interviews, I don't believe them for a second. Good Morning America and The Today Show are constantly competing for guests such as the "hiccup girl" or the "bush baby" contestant from American Idol, and do you really think these folks fly to New York for on-set interviews without any compensation?

If The Hilton clan is getting $750K for her appearance on NBC, then this is a pretty nice haul for Paris' 2o or so days of captivity in which she was not allowed to ... wear makeup or look in a mirror.

Life is tough, no?