Billionaires are rarely happy people. When the measure of your worth is based on how much you’re worth, there will always be someone with just a little more, making you feel just a little bit less. Jimmy Buffett was the exception to all of this. He was a billionaire who radiated happiness. He had the immense financial rewards of his talent and the business savvy of his wife, Jane. He surfed, bonefished, flew seaplanes, and pretty much lived the Parrothead life that he preached. Along the way, he had a charmed marriage, raised three kids, and was a New York Times best-selling author. Performers, by the very nature of their work, bring exponential joy to others. And Jimmy certainly did that. Here are a few remembrances from friends who knew the performer and the man himself. —Graydon Carter
TOM FRESTON
Tom Freston is a media-and-entertainment executive, a co-founder of MTV, and the board chair of the ONE Campaign, an anti-poverty organization
