Entertainment

‘Secret’ millionaires buy good PR

There’s something secretly skeevy about self-made, self- promoting millionaires being given an hour-long, personal infomercial for doing what should be done in private — giving money to charity.

Welcome to “Secret Millionaire” — the somewhat creepy reality show that jumped from Fox to ABC without much explanation.

Sunday night features millionaire motivational speaker Dani Johnson, who is billed as author, success coach and renowned speaker.

On Sunday, it’s Marc Paskin (aka “The Donald Trump of San Diego”) who, when he’s not dealing real estate, gives lectures on how to be as fabulously wealthy as him. I presume the lectures are free.

At any rate, the secret millionaires live among the poor folk for all of one week and, somehow, even though they are being followed by a film crew, no one ever thinks they’re anything but volunteers. Right.

A man followed by a film crew comes to your house to carry a chair down to the basement for you, and it’s not odd?

Paskin, who says he’s a millionaire several times over, is sent to Detroit to live in a small, inner-city house for a week on $50. He volunteers for three charities — one that helps young adults rehab their lives by rehabbing condemned houses; another charity that drives those who can’t afford transportation to dialysis; and “Man,” a neighborhood watch group.

The people he meets are absolutely wonderful and heart-warming. But his role here is kind of ridiculous. He seems to work one day at each place — and they fall all over themselves thanking him.

While he talks about giving away all his millions, as does Dani, all he gives here is $110,000.

Anyway you cut it, a charity that lost $350,000 in funding — the Home Builders say it did on the show — isn’t going back into the black with a $40,000 check.

Granted, it’s better than nothing, but not when the payoff for the millionaire is an hour of flattering prime network time.

Cost of charity? $100Gs. Publicity for the motivational millionaires? Priceless.