Member-only story
“If you’re in the luckiest 1% of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99%.”
- Warren Buffett (1930 — ) American billionaire investor and philanthropist
By the end of this you will know much more about one of the men. This is by design. I think it appropriate.
Frankly, until recently, I had not heard of either of them. That may say something about the kind of life I lead.
But a news item caught my eye. An unusual item. One does not often see news like this.
It announced the closure of The Atlantic Philanthropies. It was founded in 1982 by Charles (“Chuck”) Francis Feeney, an Irish-American businessman who made billions in a duty-free shopping empire. It is estimated that, during its existence, the foundation gave away close to $8B U.S. to charities and universities. Almost all he had.
Feeney, now 89 and in ill-health, lives in a small San Francisco apartment rental with his wife Helga. He has set aside $2M for his own needs, which are simple. He does not own a car or home. He has one pair of shoes, wears a $10 Casio watch, and flies economy class. A plastic bag serves as a valise.
