STEPHEN Paletta, a Westchester builder, probably doesn’t need Oprah Winfrey’s $1 million.
Paletta, 43, is one of 10 contestants who were chosen to be part of the new series, “Oprah’s Big Give.”
The quickest way to describe the series: a game show for philanthropists who cross the country fulfilling the dreams of as many complete strangers as possible in 48 hours.
Grand prize: $1 million.
Paletta, a real estate developer who has founded several companies specializing in sewer rehabilitation and the construction of fiber-optic networks, is the lone New York contestant.
But he is under strict orders not to talk about the show until its debut March 3.
He hung up on a reporter who reached him at home yesterday – the day the names of the contestants were finally made public.
The Cornell alumnus (class of ’86) is described by Oprah-pal and “Big Give” host Nate Berkus as “a real family man, people are going to fall in love with him immediately,” according to the latest edition of TV Guide.
Paletta is no stranger to applying creative thinking to unique situations – a skill that may serve him well on “Big Give.”
In 1992, he devised new technology to rebuild sewer and water lines without excavation. He patented the system and used it to build one of the largest trenchless technology companies in the US.
He lives in the well-to-do town of Bedford Corners, where the average home costs around $1 million.
The idea for “Big Give” came from an “Oprah’s Favorite Things” show just before Christmas 2006.
On that show, she gave every member of the audience $1,000 and told them to give it away where they thought it would do the most good.
The story of who got the money and why was the subject of a follow-up show – and the idea grew into a series.