RIP: Billionaire Decided To Give Away All Of The Fortune He Earned During His Lifetime
By JamieFlower
Charles Francis "Chuck" Feeney, the esteemed Irish American entrepreneur and philanthropist who generously devoted his entire personal wealth to global charitable causes, peacefully departed on October 9 in San Francisco at the age of 92.
The Atlantic Philanthropies
Mr. Feeney's philanthropic endeavors, orchestrated through The Atlantic Philanthropies, anonymously dispensed over $8 billion in grants across five continents.
Bill Gates hailed him as the "ultimate example of giving while living."
"I had one idea that never changed in my mind—that you should use your wealth to help people," Feeney wrote in his biography.
"Try it, you'll like it," he added. "It's much more fun to give while you are alive than to give when you are dead."
Feeney's humble beginnings during the Great Depression, growing up with Irish American parents who instilled strong values and a strong work ethic, never left him, even as he achieved great success in the business world.
Feeney made much of his fortune after co-founding Duty Free Shoppers, a chain of duty-free airport stores specializing in luxury goods.
In 1982, Feeney and his family founded the Atlantic Foundation and subsequently transferred all of his business assets to it. By the time the foundation was dissolved in 2020, it had distributed over $8 billion in grants, mainly focusing on regions including the United States, The Republic of Ireland, Britain, Northern Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Vietnam, Bermuda, and Cuba.
According to Forbes, Feeney allocated $3.7 billion to education, with more than $870 million dedicated to human rights, and over $700 million contributed to health-related causes.
You are currently reading about RIP: Billionaire Decided To Give Away All Of The Fortune He Earned During His Lifetime. If you've found this helpful, please share RIP: Billionaire Decided To Give Away All Of The Fortune He Earned During His Lifetime on your favorite social media site, such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google+
