Bankrate: What are your business interests these days?

Art Linkletter: One is a company that produces ethanol, which is a great way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. I'm also involved in a company that is big in solar power. We're building power plants on wires so we can get energy from the sun. We've got a plant near Las Vegas and its very exciting. I think alternative energy has a great future.

Bankrate: Your more unusual investments have included the Hula Hoop and the Game of Life. What else have you invested in?

Art Linkletter: I owned a million-acre sheep ranch in Australia. I was an original investor in the Hula Hoop and still receive income from my financial interest in the Game of Life, which I've had coming in for the last 32 years. I've served on a lot of corporate boards, including MGM, the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas and Western Airlines. It's kind of funny -- I wouldn't put a quarter in a slot machine, but I've been involved in companies that drill for oil and gas. I invest in stocks and bonds too, but am always looking for new business opportunities.

Bankrate: How would you describe your life philosophy?

Art Linkletter: You know, I've had tragedies in my life. I lost two of my children, one to an LSD-related suicide and the other in an accident but I wouldn't have missed the great years I had with those kids for anything. Even if I had known how it would turn out, I wouldn't give up those years. Things turn out the best for people who make the best out of life. Life constantly changes and it's easy to get into a comfortable rut, but I've learned that you do well in life when you are living and participating fully. Then as you get older you get some wisdom and have a better idea of what you should be doing and shouldn't be doing.