15 years later, Dave Chappelle doesn't look crazy for walking away from Comedy Central's $50 million Chappelle's Show deal

Mel Magazine

During a 1998 appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Chappelle asked the host: “Would you rather have $50 million or a magic carpet that, you know, works?” "Of course, within a few years, Chappelle would be asked essentially the same question, but for real this time. And staying true to himself, he picked the magic carpet, which, in his case, was his freedom — or his Blackness, his realness, his dignity and his soul," says Zaron Burnett III, who adds: "A decade later, Chappelle signed a deal with Netflix for a series of comedy specials (at $20 million per special). To date, he’s released five of them, which means he’s already doubled his lost Comedy Central money (and in the process, gotten both the cash and the magic carpet ride)."