Gayle King’s decision to save some of her $11 million-a-year CBS paycheck by taking a bus to the Hamptons backfired spectacularly when she ended up stuck in traffic for hours without air conditioning on one of the hottest days of the year.
The 64-year-old CBS This Morning anchor, who has enjoyed many lavish vacations with her best friend Oprah Winfrey over the years, took to Instagram to bemoan her uncomfortable journey from New York City to the popular weekend destination, lamenting the lack of AC and the ‘bumper to bumper traffic’ while sharing a sweaty selfie.
‘On the BUS heading to the Hamptons temperature in the high 80’s and bumper to bumper traffic & we have NO air … I’m now wondering if I’m a bus person. Driver and fellow sweating humans all very nice… FUN!’ she captioned the image.
Frustrated: Gayle King, 64, documented her journey from New York City to the Hamptons on Instagram, starting with a photo of herself on the hot bus
Hellish: The CBS This Morning anchor revealed in her caption that they were stuck in bumper to bumper traffic in 80-degree heat without air conditioning
Ironically, unlike many other patrons who regularly use the bus, it was likely well within Gayle’s spending power to opt for a much speedier, and more luxurious, form of transportation to the Hamptons, such as a pay-per-journey helicopter from the city.
Blade, a company that offers helicopter services to and from New York, has trips from Manhattan to the Hamptons, with tickets ranging from $495 to $694 per person, which is a relatively paltry sum when compared with the $11 million-a-year that Gayle is believed to earn, after more than doubling her contract at CBS when it was renegotiated earlier this year.
Alternatively, a cab from New York City to Southampton is estimated to cost around $300, while an Uber would likely be around $250.
Meanwhile, a one-way ticket on the Hamptons Jitney, which is the main bus service that operates between New York City and the Hamptons, costs between $23 and $35, depending on the route and whether it is pre-booked.
As Gayle demonstrated however, the bus isn’t always the most comfortable way to travel, nor is it the quickest.
However, her decision to choose a more penny-pinching means of transportation gave one friend the chance to poke a bit of fun at the CBS star.
Gayle’s former assistant Arianna Davis, who is now the digital director of OprahMag.com, couldn’t resist commenting that her boss has sworn off the bus before.
All smiles: In a follow-up post, Gayle shared they were able to switch buses after two and a half hours and finally had air conditioning
Hamptons style: The journalist looked reading for summer in a yellow dress with navy flowers
She gets it: In her caption, she admitted that she knew her issues were ‘first class problems’
‘I distinctly remember you telling me when I was your assistant you’d never get on a bus to the Hampton’s again…guess you forgot,’ she joked.
In her follow-up post, Gayle shared photos of herself posing in the doorway of a bus, revealing they were able to switch vehicles and finally had air conditioning.
Although she was clearly hot in the steamy bus, the journalist looked reading for summer in a sunny yellow dress with navy blue flowers and sparkly flip flops.
‘Ding ding ding! Breaking news after two & half hours of no air in hot bus … our driver was able to get us another bus … just pulled off highway to make the swap that’s the good news … traffic still bumper to bumper to the Hamptons yeah yeah yeah I know first class problems … it is what it is ..I am now wondering HOW scared am I of helicopters?’ she wrote.
The final image from her journey shows her posing with her bus driver, explaining the roughly two-and-a-half-hour trip took almost double the time.
‘WE MADE IT!! Special mommy hug to driver Desiree (as she says desire with an extra E) who got us here safely!!!! Left city at 12:30 arrival 4:35 … so fun … have a great weekend!’ she wrote.
For many wealthy New Yorkers, the Hamptons is the place to see and be seen in the summer, but Gayle has enjoyed much more extravagant getaways with her close pal Oprah over the years.
Arrival: The final image from her journey shows her posing with her bus driver Desiree at their destination
Double the time: Gayle revealed the roughly two-and-a-half-hour trip took four hours
Oprah and Gayle clearly enjoy spending time at sea, and they are regulars on David Geffen’s $300 million megayacht Rising Sun.
The two pals, along with Gayle’s son William Bumpus, were among the guests on the business magnate’s yacht when they celebrated Oprah’s 65th birthday in St. Barts in January.
Oprah and Gayle were also aboard the Rising Sun with many wealthy A-listers, including Diane Sawyer and Diane Von Furstenberg, during David’s trip to Sicily in 2017.
Two years before, the two were on his yacht in Spain and enjoyed a night of clubbing in Ibiza during one of their pitstops. And while they usually take at least one getaway on the Rising Sun each year, they’ve also enjoyed many trips on land.
Gayle rang in her 63rd birthday at Oprah’s gorgeous estate in Maui, Hawaii, in 2017. Although it is unclear how much the media mogul spent on the compound, which sits on the slopes of Mount Haleakala, an adjacent property went up for sale for $32 million back in 2016.
In 2015, the CBS star and her children William and Kirby Bumpus spent Christmas in paradise with Oprah and her longtime partner Stedman Graham, as they enjoyed an exotic getaway in an undisclosed location with director Ava Duvernay and actor David Oyelowo.
Yachting: Gayle has enjoyed many lavish vacations with her best friend Oprah, and the two are regulars on David Geffen’s $300 million megayacht Rising Sun (pictured in 2016)
Paradise: Gayle rang in her 63rd birthday at Oprah’s estate in Maui, Hawaii, in 2017. It’s unclear how much she spent on the home, an adjacent property went up for sale for $32 million in 2016
One would think Gayle might be spoiled after years of living the high-life with her best friend, but with her bus trip to the Hamptons, she’s proved quite the opposite is true.
The journalist arrived in the Hamptons safely, but she may think twice before boarding a bus again, especially when there is another option for wealthy travelers.
No doubt next time she chooses to escape the city for a weekend jaunt to the popular summer destination, she will choose a slightly more costly, yet enjoyable, means of transportation, even if it means splashing a bit more of her paycheck.
The anchor has more than doubled her salary by negotiating a new $11 million-per-year deal with CBS News, Page Six reported in May.
The publication said she went into the negotiations looking for ‘Stephanopoulos money,’ a reference to George Stephanopoulos inking a deal with ABC worth between $15 million and $18 million.
Star of the show: Gayle reportedly doubled her salary by negotiating a new $11 million-per-year deal with CBS News in May
Knowing your worth: Oprah helped Gayle with the high-profile negotiation, telling her: ‘Get what you want’
‘I said, “Get what you want. Get exactly what you want because now’s the time. And if you don’t get what you want, then make the next right move.” Even without me, she was going to do that,’ Oprah told the Hollywood Reporter in April.
‘But that was my advice, and I actually called up her lawyer, Allen Grubman, and I said, “Allen, she should get what she wants.” And Allen goes, “What the F do you think I’m doing here? I said the same thing to her!” The negotiation was already happening before her R. Kelly interview.’
The media mogul recently opened up about her four-decade friendship with Gayle during their most recent episode of OprahMag.com’s ongoing video series, The OG Chronicles, and according to Oprah, it’s all about surrounding yourself with people who can truly be happy for you.
‘This is really the key,’ she said. ‘Gayle has always been really happy with her life. I’ve been really happy with my life. So you want to have friends that are really, really happy for your accomplishments and feel great about it and don’t feel like your accomplishment is taking anything away from them.
‘So to have a happy life, you gotta have people in it who support you, people who are genuinely happy for you,’ she added. ‘Frenemies and forced friendships, they’re just not worth it.’