Well that didn't last long. A few months ago, Bono appeared on the Graham Norton Show, he went on about glaucoma for a while and the general population seemed to think he wasn't actually that bad of a chap. That status now seems to have disappeared and all because he was spotted at a football match.
Call it begrudgery if you want (and many do) but a lot of people just don't like Bono's public persona and there's no doubt that his tax status has a bit to do with this. Arguments have been made that the U2 machine do in fact pay their fair share of (personal) tax in Ireland but the stigma of a tax exile remains and when Bono showed up in tax haven Monaco to watch last night's Champions League clash with Arsenal, there was always going to be plenty of this...
(The first one seems to ignore the fact that Bono paying tax to the UK isn't exactly on the money either)
Bono with his tax dodging pals in Monaco while preaching to the rest of the world about hunger and child poverty. Absolute 100% Bell End.
— Soldier of 7th Place (@Finbar1892) March 17, 2015
Nice to see Bono is spending St Patrick's Day in his favourite place - a tax haven. #MONARS #gobshitebono pic.twitter.com/a5vl3T9qTc
— Gavin Friday (@RobinFriday79) March 17, 2015
Tyldesley seemed surprised Bono was at Monaco v Arsenal. Isn't it a tax haven? That's why the grabber is there.
— Andrew Hough (@werdna67) March 17, 2015
At least Bono is not there clapping off the home side. Tax avoiding, self righteous prick.
— uptheline.org (@upthelineorg) March 17, 2015
The ball is in the Monaco box and all the cameraman wants is his shot of Bono living it up in his tax haven.
— Lee Cowen (@FFScout_Granny) March 17, 2015
I see Bono is at the Arsenal match in Monte Carlo. He'll be aghast at all the tax dodging wealth there. He really hates that sort of thing
— Ian Clarke (@Cheesewright3) March 17, 2015
Fighter of world poverty Bono there in an executive box in the tax haven of Monaco for a neutral football match
— Michael Jennings (@BlueMike20) March 17, 2015
That truly is just a minuscule selection of the tweets containing 'Bono' and 'tax' or 'U2' and 'tax'. But sure wouldn't we all do it if we had his money?
