Billionaire wanted to die 'broke' so he silently gave away almost every penny of his $8 billion fortune
A businessman may be known for the money he makes but he is remembered for the work he does. It is just a simple theory that Chuck Feeney, an entrepreneur and the founder of Atlantic Philanthropies, has etched in the hearts of many. Known as the billionaire who wanted to die 'broke,' Feeney is still the humane identity behind several acts of kindness that have had life-changing transformations for many people, per Forbes. His reason behind the same was simple - to give while living. Over the last few decades, the icon gave away around $8 billion to charities, funding, donations and every sector he could help out in. However, the mindset behind his larger-than-life gesture leaves everyone pondering in amazement.
Feeney, who had a lot of wealth and a long road ahead to fulfill his mission, continued giving away his money silently. “People used to ask me how I got my jollies, and I guess I'm happy when what I'm doing is helping people and unhappy when what I'm doing isn't helping people,” Feeney remarked in his conversation with Forbes. His immensely generous donations combined with his anonymity had many on his team baffled. "I had to convince the board of trustees that it was on the level, that there was nothing disreputable and this wasn't Mafia money," said Frank Rhodes, the former president of Cornell University who formerly chaired Atlantic Philanthropies.
In a profile video shared on the official YouTube page of Atlantic Philanthropies, Feeney looked certain that he didn’t want to make the rules of what one should do with their money. “But I think there is an obligation, certainly for the haves to reach out and to look and see what they can do,” he explained. For this billionaire, success wasn’t just the hundreds of millions of dollars but rather simple yet profound results from the fortune. Seeing the smile of a poor child learning to ride a bicycle, kids being able to go to school and many similar compassionate instances held value in Feeney’s eyes.
Around 2014, Feeney gave Queensland medical research a memorable boost by funding them with $27.5 million. It was just one of the innumerable donations made by him that made the world a better place. “Giving while dead, you don't feel anything, but give it away today, you can see what it's going to do and then you can modify your mistakes. It is more than money. It's satisfaction that you're achieving something that is helpful to people,” Feeney summed up his motive in the clip.
For a man who was a billionaire, Feeney lived a decent and good life. He kept out many luxuries and redirected his fortunes to things much more valuable. He retained just $2 million from all his wealth for himself and his wife to live peacefully in a rented apartment in San Francisco. His words “I don’t dislike money but there’s only so much money you can use" are a strong echo. Feeney inspired several other tycoons and businessmen like Bill Gates to give back to society. Remembering him after his passing in October 2023, Bill Gates shared a video where he poignantly recalled, “Why would you reduce the amount of good you can do if there's a lot of good that's required? There's no shortage of people who would need help. That's a market that will always exist. Chuck's a wonderful example.”