Al Gore is, of course, free to buy any house that he can afford, as
would be anyone else. But that purchase would not really increase my
esteem for Al Gore.

One of the reasons why I admire Warren Buffett, is that the house
where he lives, is very modest and is appraised at $700k, if I recall
correctly. He has another house in Laguna Beach, CA, but even that one
is only worth 2-3 million or so. Considering that he could own any
house in the world, his modesty is impressive. He says that he simply
does not need a bigger house, which is probably true.

i