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Forbes: The Billionaire Who Wanted To Die Broke . . . Is Now Officially Broke (Chuck Feeney)

JustinBB7

JustinBB7

Member
Nov 16, 2017
2,366
www.forbes.com

Exclusive: The Billionaire Who Wanted To Die Broke . . . Is Now Officially Broke

It took decades, but Chuck Feeney, the former billionaire cofounder of retail giant Duty Free Shoppers has finally given all his money away to charity. He has nothing left now—and he couldn’t be happier.
www.forbes.com www.forbes.com

Crazy story, I read a dutch source first but looked up and found this article. He's 89 now and had 9 billion, and has been giving it away since 1982. So it took him almost 40 years to give away all that money. He still has 2 million left for himself.

Charles "Chuck" Feeney, 89, who cofounded airport retailer Duty Free Shoppers with Robert Miller in 1960, amassed billions while living a life of monklike frugality. As a philanthropist, he pioneered the idea of Giving While Living—spending most of your fortune on big, hands-on charity bets instead of funding a foundation upon death. Since you can't take it with you—why not give it all away, have control of where it goes and see the results with your own eyes?
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Over the last four decades, Feeney has donated more than $8 billion to charities, universities and foundations worldwide through his foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies. When I first met him in 2012, he estimated he had set aside about $2 million for his and his wife's retirement. In other words, he's given away 375,000% more money than his current net worth. And he gave it away anonymously. .
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catboy

catboy

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,322
officially broke
still has 2m

🤔

edit: just pointing out the inconsistent headline
 
gofreak

gofreak

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,833
He helped fund many of the buildings I studied in at university. A very generous man indeed.
 
Odesu

Odesu

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,578
Exclusive: The Billionaire Who Wanted To Die Broke . . . Is Now Officially Broke
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He still has 2 million left for himself.
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entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
61,098
I've love to be "broke" according to the headline writers lol.
 
jman1954goat

jman1954goat

Linked the Fire
Member
May 9, 2020
12,569
I wish I was "broke" right now.

still cool that he giving a significant portion of his wealth away and not chump change like most billionaires out there.
 
catboy

catboy

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,322
Alastor3 said:
honestly, 2m isn't that much nowadays even for ''normal people'', even more especially if you were a billionnaire
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you should look at the figures for % of people living paycheck to paycheck. compared to the 1%, 2m is nothing, but it's still more than many people will earn in 30 years.
 
Empyrean Cocytus

Empyrean Cocytus

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
18,822
Upstate NY
"Chuck took giving to a bigger extreme than anyone. There's a lot of rich people—very few of them fly coach. He never spent the money on himself and gave everything away. A lot of people are now understanding the importance of giving it away, and the importance of being involved in the things you give your money to. But I don't fly coach!"
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This speaks to me. Why the hell not fly coach? These days coach doesn't provide any better of an experience than first class does on domestic flights, and with technology easily available you can get the same amenities you used to get exclusively in first class.
 

Adventureracing

The Fallen
Nov 7, 2017
8,092
One of the few billionaire threads where i legit feel like i can say good on him. Wish more would do this (instead of pledging to one day maybe give away there fortune after they die).
 
el jacko

el jacko

Member
Dec 12, 2017
948
Empyrean Cocytus said:
This speaks to me. Why the hell not fly coach? These days coach doesn't provide any better of an experience than first class does on domestic flights, and with technology easily available you can get the same amenities you used to get exclusively in first class.
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As someone with very little money but who flies international a lot (or used to) I think the only extravagance I would pay for is first-class tickets, to get that extra legroom and fully reclinable seat!

Like, I'm happy in my small apartment and without a car, and really don't need all that much at all, but a good seat on a flight is definitely worth it... if you have the cash.
 
raYne_07

raYne_07

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,205
"Officially broke".. with 2 million left? 99% of the planet wishes they were this broke.
 
P-Bo

P-Bo

One Winged Slayer
Member
Jun 17, 2019
4,405
- Is broke.
- Still has 2 mill.

The disconnect is real lmao.
 
Raxus

Raxus

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,695
If going broke is having 2 million i an sure we'd Ll love to sign up.

I also love how it took DECADES to lose all that wealth. Ludicrous.
 
Empyrean Cocytus

Empyrean Cocytus

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
18,822
Upstate NY
el jacko said:
As someone with very little money but who flies international a lot (or used to) I think the only extravagance I would pay for is first-class tickets, to get that extra legroom and fully reclinable seat!

Like, I'm happy in my small apartment and without a car, and really don't need all that much at all, but a good seat on a flight is definitely worth it... if you have the cash.
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Isn't this why Business class is a thing on international flights? As a mid-point?
 
Teh_Lurv

Teh_Lurv

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,122
The man gave away billions and this thread is obsessed with a clickbait title calling him broke. Come on....
 
The Albatross

The Albatross

Member
Oct 25, 2017
39,305
He's 89 and has $2million left?

Forbes definition of "Broke" is always fucking hilarious.

Teh_Lurv said:
The man gave away billions and this thread is obsessed with a clickbait title calling him broke. Come on....
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Fucking forbes editorial team drives me fucking batty. They know what they're doing to generate reactions
 
Annubis

Annubis

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,687
What if instead he was taxed accordingly and the end result was more or less the same?
 
Sirhc

Sirhc

Hasn't made a thread yet. Shame me.
Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,080
Teh_Lurv said:
The man gave away billions and this thread is obsessed with a clickbait title calling him broke. Come on....
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Fucking wild lmao.

That's pretty damn cool though, this guy is like that mythical good billionaire that society tries to invent. Imagine it waa fulfilling to see all the help he was doing.
 
Zoso

Zoso

Member
Oct 27, 2017
249
Good man. In a sane world this would be the norm. Billionaires shouldn't exist.
 

Deleted member 5593

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
2,635
Remember people, don't let this story warm you up on the idea of defending the structures which enabled this man into becoming a billionaire:

 
Keasar

Keasar

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
5,724
Umeå, Sweden
AAK said:
Remember people, don't let this story warm you up on the idea of defending the structures which enabled this man into becoming a billionaire:

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Adding to this:


It's a heartwarming story, but don't let it fool you. Maybe he is genuine, but he would be but a single water molecule in an ocean of billionaire piss.
 

GloomyHitsuji

Member
Oct 31, 2017
15
ppl saying he's not broke cos he have 2mil (you don't expect him to give away until he has like $20 in his pocket, right?)

Isn't going from 9bil -> 2mil
similar to someone going from 900k in their bank account to $200? (that's pretty broke to me)
 
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