Big Donor Gives Away His Identity
NEW YORK — Charles Feeney has more than lived up to his goal of “giving while living,” having anonymously donated away nearly his entire personal fortune of $4 billion.
Now the businessman has gone public, partly in the hope of inspiring other wealthy Americans to open up their checkbooks.
“I believe that people of substantial wealth potentially create problems for future generations unless they themselves accept responsibility to use their wealth during their lifetime to help worthwhile causes,” Feeney said Thursday.
Feeney, 65, made his fortune with duty-free shops in international airports.
He said he had transferred all but about $5 million of his assets to his two charitable foundations, the Atlantic Foundation and the Atlantic Trust.
His largess has gone to universities and educational organizations, job-training programs, low-income housing initiatives, hospitals and Irish institutions.
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