▁and ▁became ▁extremely ▁wealth y . ▁Until ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Anderson ▁was ▁the ▁highest ▁paid ▁African - American ▁actor , ▁receiving ▁an ▁annual ▁sal ary ▁of ▁$ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁Anderson ▁was ▁on ▁Eb ony ▁magazine ' s ▁list ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 0 ▁wealth iest ▁African - Amer icans . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁he ▁was ▁so ▁strongly ▁identified ▁with ▁the ▁" R och ester " ▁role ▁that ▁many ▁listen ers ▁of ▁the ▁radio ▁program ▁mistaken ly ▁pers isted ▁in ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁Ben ny ' s ▁actual ▁v alet . ▁One ▁such ▁listener , ▁after ▁hearing ▁Ro chester ' s ▁j okes ▁about ▁his ▁low ▁sal ary , ▁drove ▁Ben ny ▁to ▁dist raction ▁when ▁he ▁sent ▁him ▁a ▁sc old ing ▁letter ▁concerning ▁Ro chester ' s ▁alleg ed ▁pay , ▁and ▁then ▁sent ▁another ▁letter ▁to ▁Anderson , ▁which ▁ur ged ▁him ▁to ▁sue ▁Ben ny . ▁In ▁reality , ▁Anderson ▁did ▁well ▁enough ▁to ▁have ▁his ▁own ▁v alet . ▁ ▁The ▁fact ▁that ▁Anderson ▁was ▁frequently ▁seen ▁at ▁Ben ny ' s ▁home ▁may ▁have ▁helped ▁perpet uate ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁v alet ▁to ▁Ben ny . ▁Ben ny ▁held ▁the ▁first ▁re he ars al ▁of ▁his ▁week ly ▁radio ▁show ▁at ▁his ▁home ▁in ▁B ever ly ▁Hills . ▁Those ▁r iding ▁the ▁stars ' ▁homes ▁tour ▁bus es ▁in ▁the ▁morning ▁often