Friday, October 13, 2023

Charles Feeney, philanthropist who gave away his $8 billion fortune during his lifetime, dies at 92

R.I.P.

That he donated money to Irish Sinn Fein (affiliated with the notorious IRA) was not his finest hour!

He is reported to have lived his final years in a modest rental apartment. His frugality was his feature.

According to Wikipedia: "He was the founder of the Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the world. Feeney gave away his fortune in secret for many years, choosing to be anonymous, and donating more than $8 billion in his lifetime. ...
In 1982, Feeney created the Atlantic Philanthropies, and in 1984, secretly transferred his entire 38.75% stake in DFS, then worth about $500 million, to the foundation. Not even his business partners knew that he no longer personally owned any part of DFS. Feeney expanded Atlantic's assets with investments in Facebook, Priceline, E-Trade, Alibaba, and Legent. For years, Atlantic gave away money in secret, requiring recipients to not reveal the source of their donations ...
The largest single beneficiary of Feeney's giving is his alma mater Cornell University, which has received nearly $1 billion in direct and Atlantic gifts ..."

Charles Feeney, philanthropist who gave away his billions, dies at 92 - The Washington Post For decades, the former duty-free tycoon donated nearly $8 billion to humanitarian efforts and institutions. He tried to keep it all secret.



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