Billionaire who gave away $8,000,000,000 fortune after pledging to die broke has died
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation/ The Atlantic Philanthropies
Billionaire Chuck Feeney has died at the age of 92.
Feeney made a fortune over his life, but ultimately gave it all away to good causes and spent the last few years of his life living frugally.
The late 92-year-old generated his wealth after co-founding airport retail company, Duty Free Shoppers, in 1960 along with a fellow undergraduate from Cornell University.
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He created a foundation called Atlantic Philanthropies in 1982 and lived his life by his 'Giving While Living' motto.
The foundation closed its doors in 2020 and successfully donated billions of dollars of Feeney's wealth to countries such as the United States, the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Vietnam, Bermuda, and Cuba.
In 1996, he decided to leave the brand and sold his shares to French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH - ultimately making him a very rich man.
But rather than purchase dozens of supercars and a holiday home in the Hamptons, Feeney pledged to give away all his money by the time he died.
He's also said to have donated vast amounts of cash to Cornell University, earning him the name of its 'third founder'.
In total, Atlantic Philanthropies donated a staggering $8 billion to 'promising programs and people and in places where we saw the chance to create opportunity and promote greater fairness and equity for all', according to its website.
But the late philanthropist and entrepreneur didn't do it for the public gratification as he made all his donations anonymously for the first 15 years of his mission - earning himself the nickname as the 'James Bond of Philanthropy'.
The foundation confirmed that Feeney had died in San Francisco on Monday (9 October).
While he died in San Francisco, he was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Irish-American parents as Charles Francis Feeney.
With this Irish heritage and philanthropy in mind, the Tánaiste (Irish deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin also issued a statement following Feeney's passing.
"Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Chuck Feeney," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Through Atlantic Philanthropies, Chuck’s vision, generosity and selfless leadership transformed the lives of people on the island of Ireland, north and south, young and old, through investment in education and community.
"It was a great honour to work with him, transforming Ireland’s third level research capacity.
"He was a pioneer in the world of philanthropy."
Martin concluded his post in Gaelic writing 'Ní bheidh do leithéad arís ann', meaning 'There will never be another one'.