Irish billionaire who wanted to retire broke donates all wealth in charity

The former CEO of the airport retail named Duty Free Shoppers, Chuck Feeney also known for dispensing €1bn on Irish ­projects, has finally donated all his wealth in charity and has now retired in contentment. The 89-year-old endorser of the Giving While Living who has been known to propagate the monk life, and whose Atlantic Philanthropies (AP) have made humongous donations, including direct grants to higher education and national research infrastructure funding, has now been declared officially ‘broke’, according to his company Atlantic Philanthropies official release. 

The business tycoon said that he was, in fact, very satisfied. Under his Giving While Living vision, he has been able to do some hands-on charity and did not have to rely on funding a foundation post-death, he said, speaking with Forbes. The billionaire added that he learned a lot along his journey and the idea of why not give it all (the wealth) away had struck as very appealing to him. He wanted to do it “on my watch,” he said.

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According to an official release on his website, under the Chuck Feeney: Giving It All Away campaign information, the ­” billionaire backer of an extraordinary foundation” has had some tremendous stories of simplicity such as travelling economy class despite amassing billions of dollars in wealth. The team said that the rich tycoon was often seen carrying his “belongings in a plastic bag, using the train or bus to get from the apartment he used in Baggot Street, Dublin, to his base in Limerick”, and was often giving a piercing gaze when he “asked the question nobody else wanted to face”.

[The pedestrian Living Bridge at the University of Limerick funded by Feeney. Photo: Magnum Foundation]

“Even if there is no memorial to commemorate him, many people may not be even aware of his existence”, the company wrote, adding, the man’s contribution is immense.

Donated “itself out of existence”

Company Atlantic Philanthropies wrote in the release that the Irish-American billionaire gave all his money away, and had nothing left behind. “For years I was afraid to buy a new car in case he thought I was wasting money that could be better spent elsewhere,” an academic who ferried him in Ireland said, speaking of the CEO. Further, the company update that it has donated “itself out of existence” while its last grants have been purchased. Meanwhile, Feeney retired at his home in San Francisco while his company Atlantic Philanthropies dispersed €6.5bn worldwide in Ireland, Vietnam, the US, and Australia. 

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