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The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Secretly Made and Gave Away a Fortune
Chuck Feeney was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to a blue-collar Irish-American family during the Depression. After service in the Korean War, he made a fortune as founder of Duty Free Shoppers, the world’s largest duty-free retail chain. By 1988, he was hailed by Forbes Magazine as the twenty-fourth richest American alive. But secretly Feeney had already transferred all his wealth to his foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies. Only in 1997 when he sold his duty free interests, was he “outed” as one of the greatest and most mysterious American philanthropists in modern times. After going “underground” again, he emerged in 2005 to cooperate on a biography promoting giving while living. Now in his mid-seventies, Feeney is determined his foundation should spend down the remaining $4 billion in his lifetime.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
March 11, 2009
I picked up this book thinking I would read about a man who through entreprenurism made a fortune and then gave it all away. I wanted to be inspired by Chuck Feeney's story: a young man with nothing to his name makes good and does good with what he made. Instead, the story was so bogged down in details that I gave up on the book before the inspiring part could be read. I am impressed by Chuck's story but not by the way it was written. I would recommend this book to people who like to be bogged down with details and are not in a hurry to get to the meat of the book. I was disappointed that this great story was told in this way.
January 25, 2016
I'm not usually into detail-laden biographies or billionaires' business ventures but after meeting Chuck and Helga for lunch in SF I was intrigued by his life story - a conscious path of frugality and "giving while living" anonymously. Chuck's lifestyle choices - flying coach, wearing a cheap timex watch, and abhorring the fame and exorbitant excess that usually accompanies billionaires - is more than admirable. Just some quotes:
On the keys to his success
"He had an uncanny quality, a perception, an ability to see business opportunities that no one else could."
"He brings a focus on business that I hadn't experienced before. If something doesn't work, he has four or so different thoughts. He has a multifaceted way of looking at business. He is detail oriented in his approach. Chuck would fly into Honolulu in late afternoon, and before he went to bed, he would have a lost of things to discuss. A lot of managers like to talk down and don't really listen. Chuck listened to salespeople." - Mike Windsor p. 93
"He insisted that it was "dumb luck" that he made so much money in the first place, rather than anything that made him different." p. 228
"I simply decided I had enough money. It doesn't drive my life. I'm a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guy... Money has an attraction for some people, but you can't wear two pairs of shoes at one time." - Chuck Feeney p. 235
"He is the opposite of the grotesque consumption and excess that has been coursing through American society for decades, where ostentatious wealth is not something to be ashamed of but flattered. He turned that extravagance on its head to defy all the lurid conventions of our society." - Jim Dwyer p. 235
What to do with all the money
"I sort of felt we could do more good by taking that money [$1.6 billion] and putting it into things but the challenge was, where do you put it?" - Chuck Feeney p. 244-5
"His philanthropy was opportunistic, but he didn't give randomly. He investigated and scrutinized, and sometimes tested the people involved with small initial grants. And it always came down to his instincts about the quality of people involved." p. 245
On paradox
"His life is full of paradoxes... at one time, he was the biggest retailer of cigarettes in the world, yet has always abhorred smoking. He sold luxury goods, but would not be seen dead with a Louis Vuitton briefcase. He made his fortune pushing high-end consumer goods, yet dislikes Christmas because of its consumerism. The greatest paradox of his life arose from his relationship with money. He has loved making money, but not having it... In later years he would measure success by the speed and efficiency with which he could give that wealth away to empower others." p. 326
This last quote is puzzling. Sit with it. Contemplate. Life is full of these tensions.
On the keys to his success
"He had an uncanny quality, a perception, an ability to see business opportunities that no one else could."
"He brings a focus on business that I hadn't experienced before. If something doesn't work, he has four or so different thoughts. He has a multifaceted way of looking at business. He is detail oriented in his approach. Chuck would fly into Honolulu in late afternoon, and before he went to bed, he would have a lost of things to discuss. A lot of managers like to talk down and don't really listen. Chuck listened to salespeople." - Mike Windsor p. 93
"He insisted that it was "dumb luck" that he made so much money in the first place, rather than anything that made him different." p. 228
"I simply decided I had enough money. It doesn't drive my life. I'm a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guy... Money has an attraction for some people, but you can't wear two pairs of shoes at one time." - Chuck Feeney p. 235
"He is the opposite of the grotesque consumption and excess that has been coursing through American society for decades, where ostentatious wealth is not something to be ashamed of but flattered. He turned that extravagance on its head to defy all the lurid conventions of our society." - Jim Dwyer p. 235
What to do with all the money
"I sort of felt we could do more good by taking that money [$1.6 billion] and putting it into things but the challenge was, where do you put it?" - Chuck Feeney p. 244-5
"His philanthropy was opportunistic, but he didn't give randomly. He investigated and scrutinized, and sometimes tested the people involved with small initial grants. And it always came down to his instincts about the quality of people involved." p. 245
On paradox
"His life is full of paradoxes... at one time, he was the biggest retailer of cigarettes in the world, yet has always abhorred smoking. He sold luxury goods, but would not be seen dead with a Louis Vuitton briefcase. He made his fortune pushing high-end consumer goods, yet dislikes Christmas because of its consumerism. The greatest paradox of his life arose from his relationship with money. He has loved making money, but not having it... In later years he would measure success by the speed and efficiency with which he could give that wealth away to empower others." p. 326
This last quote is puzzling. Sit with it. Contemplate. Life is full of these tensions.
December 31, 2008
Wow, wow, wow!!! An intense page-turner as the businesses develop from real boots-on-ground gumption to insane levels of cash generation. An inspiration for philanthropic giving. Of course Feeney has an opportunity to provide funding that most people can't, but there is one bone thrown at the average giver where he says that a burn patient doesn't care if their treatment came from a billionaire or a $200 donor. What Obama could do with less than $50 per donor and the Salvation Army does with spare change shows that the effort is worth it. And Feeney's efforts start far down the poll from multi-million dollar donations, to personally picking up trash when he walks down the street because all of those small acts of making the world better matter too.
April 7, 2013
Lucky for the world that Charles Feeney fashioned himself after Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie felt the duty of a man of wealth was to set an example of modest, ostentatious living, provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him, and after doing so "to consider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds which he is called upon to administer . . . to produce the most beneficial results for the community."
The book left some uncomfortable feelings. I give kudos to Feeney for his incredible sense of entrepreneurial smarts (the ability to foresee a need and seek to create the supply before the demand even arose, a willingness risk it all again and again to put himself and his partners on the ground floor of lucrative businesses), for Feeney's willingness to live "modestly" and out of the limelight (some of this was to avoid kidnappings and being pestered), and his decision to give away most of his billions while he was still alive and could see the good that arose. He applied his business sense to his philanthropy, again seeking out future needs which would have the major impact in improving conditions in multiple nations (often in education and medicine) and leveraging foundation money with government or other private donors.
Where I get uncomfortable: Reading the beginnings of Chuck's business with a single partner, which started out with none of their own money and ended up after many years with the final partners eventually taking out $8 billion (four partners took out 90% of the dividends every year) the early days sounded like something just this side of the black market. Right from the beginning, Chuck figured out how to evade paying taxes. One of the partners added for legal expertise made corrections to keep them out of serious legal trouble, but the partners remained enormously successful in getting out of paying taxes in any country. Was it legal? Yes. Maybe.
The book was an eye opener for how and why the wealthy can amass fortunes. That Charles Feeney eventually gave most of his fortune back is admirable. He defends not paying taxes because, in his opinion, the government was just not as efficient as he would be in getting the most bang for the buck. In this particular case, he gave back much more than the 30% he saved on taxes. Bully.
However, he is not the norm. I suspect most of the 1% use these "legal" tax dodges, avoid paying reasonable taxes,corner more and more national wealth, and give only a pittance back to help the rest of society. If we had more Charles Feeneys, perhaps we would all look up with more admiration to those who acquire great wealth. Until that day, the book is an eye-opener about how income inequality has developed in the past generation.
The book left some uncomfortable feelings. I give kudos to Feeney for his incredible sense of entrepreneurial smarts (the ability to foresee a need and seek to create the supply before the demand even arose, a willingness risk it all again and again to put himself and his partners on the ground floor of lucrative businesses), for Feeney's willingness to live "modestly" and out of the limelight (some of this was to avoid kidnappings and being pestered), and his decision to give away most of his billions while he was still alive and could see the good that arose. He applied his business sense to his philanthropy, again seeking out future needs which would have the major impact in improving conditions in multiple nations (often in education and medicine) and leveraging foundation money with government or other private donors.
Where I get uncomfortable: Reading the beginnings of Chuck's business with a single partner, which started out with none of their own money and ended up after many years with the final partners eventually taking out $8 billion (four partners took out 90% of the dividends every year) the early days sounded like something just this side of the black market. Right from the beginning, Chuck figured out how to evade paying taxes. One of the partners added for legal expertise made corrections to keep them out of serious legal trouble, but the partners remained enormously successful in getting out of paying taxes in any country. Was it legal? Yes. Maybe.
The book was an eye opener for how and why the wealthy can amass fortunes. That Charles Feeney eventually gave most of his fortune back is admirable. He defends not paying taxes because, in his opinion, the government was just not as efficient as he would be in getting the most bang for the buck. In this particular case, he gave back much more than the 30% he saved on taxes. Bully.
However, he is not the norm. I suspect most of the 1% use these "legal" tax dodges, avoid paying reasonable taxes,corner more and more national wealth, and give only a pittance back to help the rest of society. If we had more Charles Feeneys, perhaps we would all look up with more admiration to those who acquire great wealth. Until that day, the book is an eye-opener about how income inequality has developed in the past generation.
December 21, 2015
Well, I didn't actually FINISH the book. It gets so bogged down in details that it lost its appeal for me. Honestly, it sounded like a compelling story before I began it, but the more I read, the more I couldn't follow what was happening and it became less and less interesting. I'm thinking a very short story of how he got started and what he eventually did, would be adequate for this story. Sorry, but, I'm not recommending it to anyone, except Chuck Feeney's mother.
January 4, 2018
I loved this. Yes the writing could have been better but the life lessons I've taken away from this are invaluable. I really walked away with admiration of Chuck's determination to change the world and people's lives. He really did achieve his goals.
June 19, 2018
A (perhaps appropriately) fawning account of Chuck Feeney. Well-written biography, if a bit drawn out. Quite an extraordinary businessman-philanthropist life.
July 8, 2019
This is a fantastic book. Chuck Feeney is an incredibly modest, humble and low-key "billionaire" who gave it all away so he could watch his wealth be put to good use during his lifetime. His is an inspirational rags to riches (and back to rags, almost) story about an Irish Catholic from Elizabeth NJ who went on to conquer the world. It's very well written, and at times you have to pause because it almost reads like fiction. He is one of the biggest donors to universities in the entire world, and most people have never heard of him. The fact that I've met many of his family members (one of whom is a best friend) only served to reinforce the power of this story - his family lives like he does - modestly and humbly. I would strongly recommend this book.
March 18, 2018
This biography is incredibly insightful and interesting. It reveals the life and personality of one of the most secretive billionaires in the world. I could draw many similarities throughout the book with Sam Walton, the founder of Wal Mart. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in philanthropy and retailing.
August 8, 2021
It was way too detail oriented in a way that made it boring for my personal taste. I wish it had been more condensed and more emotional.
August 19, 2018
The story of an interesting and inspirational man but v dryly written and too long
July 5, 2008
This book was given to me by a Boston philanthropist who said he had been so inspired by Chuck Feeney's story that he ahd purchased two dozen copies and was giving them to anyone who was interested...
The story itself is compelling. Feeney, a renaissance man who founded the "Duty Free Shops" concept and built a business empire in the aftermath of WWII, secretly gave away billions of dollars, supported peace in Northern Ireland and education around the world.
The book itself chronicles Feeney's life, starting with humble roots in NJ, following his travels around the world to start up DFS, the savvy business moves to build an empire, and ultimately his decision to give away his entire fortune without telling his partners - or anyone else!
The style is simple, but is an impressive compilation of interviews and vignettes that paint a picture of the man who defined the "giving while living" philosophy.
The story itself is compelling. Feeney, a renaissance man who founded the "Duty Free Shops" concept and built a business empire in the aftermath of WWII, secretly gave away billions of dollars, supported peace in Northern Ireland and education around the world.
The book itself chronicles Feeney's life, starting with humble roots in NJ, following his travels around the world to start up DFS, the savvy business moves to build an empire, and ultimately his decision to give away his entire fortune without telling his partners - or anyone else!
The style is simple, but is an impressive compilation of interviews and vignettes that paint a picture of the man who defined the "giving while living" philosophy.
December 28, 2024
A fascinating read about an extraordinary businessman and how he built a retailing empire, while later turning those same skills to give away his fortune with amazing results. Chuck Feeney is an extraordinary individual, from whom we can learn a lot about the true importance of wealth. This should be distributed to all billionaires (and any other so called "high net worth individual"), if only to have them think deeply about what it is they can do with their money.
May 8, 2012
Loved this book, it's a must read if you're interested in development and fundraising. As a detailed look into Chuck Feeney's background, education, army experience, business savvy, you see his philanthropic efforts run throughout. Seems fitting to Chuck's character to have this type of thorough biography, and I'm glad we have record of his journey. I'm inspired by the generosity and thankful for the perspective to think big.
February 8, 2019
An uninspiring long Wikipedia page. No teachings, no emotions, nothing for the 99,9% of people who do
not have billions. Nothing also in the way of what moved Ferber to give it all away. Very poorly written, with too many details about very uninteresting situations. Such a pity for what could have certainly be a great story.
not have billions. Nothing also in the way of what moved Ferber to give it all away. Very poorly written, with too many details about very uninteresting situations. Such a pity for what could have certainly be a great story.
October 2, 2017
It was a good story about a good person, however there were too many financial details for me. A person with a business degree, or international business degree might find those parts easier, but for science types like me, it was a little tough in some areas.
February 4, 2015
Great read and very inspiring. It's great to see how much good Chuck Feeney did to the world.
July 23, 2017
An inspiring decision but the details are less interesting.
November 26, 2019
3.5 stars. Fantastic story however a poor delivery focusing too much on the minutiae
March 3, 2013
Who knew!
September 11, 2019
Bold, audacious, has own moral compass. Ok with ethical gray areas such as tax evasion and screwing over big companies, but not people. Cares about the person, able to overlook the people. Filled with a spirit of adventure and wanderlust.
Was not strategic at early life, just chasing adventure and relying on his wits - put himself out there with immense chances to become lucky and he eventually did. His entire fortune was built on exploiting arbitrage which began when he chose to exploit a roulette table scheme in Reno instead of taking a job after graduating from Cornell.
Then moved to Europe on a whim and pursued a grad degree in France that enabled him to keep adventuring. Stumbled upon arbitrage opportunities to resell due to his connections. Mulled his network well - so many of partners came from Cornell or met after reading the Cornell alumni newsletter to see who was in the parts of Europe that he was living in at the time.
Constraints create creativity - Chuck found this great arbitrage opportunity to sell duty free liquor sales to military due to esoteric regulations, that expanded to cars and tobacco as his business grew. So much of his success came from taking advantage of weird taxes and duties and exploiting them with tax havens from Lichtenstein to France to Spain with unauthorized businesses. Same with the case of recognizing currency arbitrage with Japanese tourists during the 80's boom, before recognizing the domestic opportunity for duty free, especially through Hawaii. He capitalized on expansion of the Asian tigers with trade and prosperity in Hong Kong becoming central to his business.
Key to Chuck Feeny's life was anonymity. From his early days as a hustler, he recognized that publicity would not be in his service. And he had the adventurous mentality and self-awareness to recognize that the spotlight would be more of a hindrance to him than a benefit going through to his days running DFS. By the time he was a billionaire, it was impossible for him to avoid publicity due to his donations to resolve the conflict with the IRA, philanthropy in building modern health in Vietnam, and $1B given back to Cornell. Amazing to hear about the incognito meetings that he held with David Skorton about the $350M donation given to build Cornell Tech. I remember vividly when Cornell was in the running for this, and to hear how impactful Chuck's underground efforts were is a modern mark on history that is was close to me. And of course General Atlantic - learning the story of George Parker who handed me my diploma from GSB makes me wish I had read this earlier to be able to ask about stories behind the scenes.
The other legacy of his story is how business success affected relationships. His closest partners that he began with who were the ones he trusted and genuinely enjoyed breaking into new adventures with when he was younger drifted apart as friends - a common thread throughout his businesses. Building his billions led him to realize the why in his life, and followed the mantra that managing success is harder than managing failure.
Chuck Feeny was both strong and powerful. Strong enough to recognize that strength was more important to power, and powerful enough to wield it when he needed to exert his influence. He had an immense ego, but was not driven more by adventure and experience than ego. He clearly was driven by ego as well, evidenced by his outwardly stated intervention with Sinn Fein and Limerick University. What I question is how did he choose what to care about?
I recognize the need for choice - what to dedicate your passion to, who to love. There are limited hobbies, limited people that you can choose to dedicate your time to. Wealth for Chuck meant being able to care for what he loves. How did he choose Ireland, Vietnam, Queensland?
Was not strategic at early life, just chasing adventure and relying on his wits - put himself out there with immense chances to become lucky and he eventually did. His entire fortune was built on exploiting arbitrage which began when he chose to exploit a roulette table scheme in Reno instead of taking a job after graduating from Cornell.
Then moved to Europe on a whim and pursued a grad degree in France that enabled him to keep adventuring. Stumbled upon arbitrage opportunities to resell due to his connections. Mulled his network well - so many of partners came from Cornell or met after reading the Cornell alumni newsletter to see who was in the parts of Europe that he was living in at the time.
Constraints create creativity - Chuck found this great arbitrage opportunity to sell duty free liquor sales to military due to esoteric regulations, that expanded to cars and tobacco as his business grew. So much of his success came from taking advantage of weird taxes and duties and exploiting them with tax havens from Lichtenstein to France to Spain with unauthorized businesses. Same with the case of recognizing currency arbitrage with Japanese tourists during the 80's boom, before recognizing the domestic opportunity for duty free, especially through Hawaii. He capitalized on expansion of the Asian tigers with trade and prosperity in Hong Kong becoming central to his business.
Key to Chuck Feeny's life was anonymity. From his early days as a hustler, he recognized that publicity would not be in his service. And he had the adventurous mentality and self-awareness to recognize that the spotlight would be more of a hindrance to him than a benefit going through to his days running DFS. By the time he was a billionaire, it was impossible for him to avoid publicity due to his donations to resolve the conflict with the IRA, philanthropy in building modern health in Vietnam, and $1B given back to Cornell. Amazing to hear about the incognito meetings that he held with David Skorton about the $350M donation given to build Cornell Tech. I remember vividly when Cornell was in the running for this, and to hear how impactful Chuck's underground efforts were is a modern mark on history that is was close to me. And of course General Atlantic - learning the story of George Parker who handed me my diploma from GSB makes me wish I had read this earlier to be able to ask about stories behind the scenes.
The other legacy of his story is how business success affected relationships. His closest partners that he began with who were the ones he trusted and genuinely enjoyed breaking into new adventures with when he was younger drifted apart as friends - a common thread throughout his businesses. Building his billions led him to realize the why in his life, and followed the mantra that managing success is harder than managing failure.
Chuck Feeny was both strong and powerful. Strong enough to recognize that strength was more important to power, and powerful enough to wield it when he needed to exert his influence. He had an immense ego, but was not driven more by adventure and experience than ego. He clearly was driven by ego as well, evidenced by his outwardly stated intervention with Sinn Fein and Limerick University. What I question is how did he choose what to care about?
I recognize the need for choice - what to dedicate your passion to, who to love. There are limited hobbies, limited people that you can choose to dedicate your time to. Wealth for Chuck meant being able to care for what he loves. How did he choose Ireland, Vietnam, Queensland?
May 25, 2025
If you’re expecting another flashy billionaire biography full of jets, tech empires, and ego—this isn’t it.
The Billionaire Who Wasn’t tells the story of Chuck Feeney, a man who made billions from Duty Free Shoppers, then spent most of his life giving it all away. Quietly. Intentionally. And with the kind of humility that feels almost impossible today.
Chuck’s story is fascinating because it flips the usual script. He wasn’t driven by status or legacy. He flew economy, wore cheap watches, lived in small apartments—and yet he gave away over $8 billion to causes that actually change lives: public health in Vietnam, education in the U.S. and Ireland, peacebuilding in South Africa and Northern Ireland.
The book, written by journalist Conor O’Clery, reads like a slow-burn reveal. You start with this low-profile business genius, then discover he’s quietly running one of the most generous philanthropic operations in history. No media tours. No self-congratulatory speeches. Just impact.
Even more powerful: he believed in “giving while living.” Don’t stockpile your fortune—use it now, while you’re here to help shape the outcome.
That message hits hard. Because even if we’re not billionaires, most of us have something—influence, money, time, experience. The real question is: what are we doing with it?
Chuck passed away in 2023, but his story—and this book—feel more relevant than ever. It’s not about wealth. It’s about purpose. And it quietly challenges us all to rethink what “success” really looks like.
Highly recommended. Whether you lead teams, manage capital, or just want to live with more intention—Chuck’s story sticks with you.
The Billionaire Who Wasn’t tells the story of Chuck Feeney, a man who made billions from Duty Free Shoppers, then spent most of his life giving it all away. Quietly. Intentionally. And with the kind of humility that feels almost impossible today.
Chuck’s story is fascinating because it flips the usual script. He wasn’t driven by status or legacy. He flew economy, wore cheap watches, lived in small apartments—and yet he gave away over $8 billion to causes that actually change lives: public health in Vietnam, education in the U.S. and Ireland, peacebuilding in South Africa and Northern Ireland.
The book, written by journalist Conor O’Clery, reads like a slow-burn reveal. You start with this low-profile business genius, then discover he’s quietly running one of the most generous philanthropic operations in history. No media tours. No self-congratulatory speeches. Just impact.
Even more powerful: he believed in “giving while living.” Don’t stockpile your fortune—use it now, while you’re here to help shape the outcome.
That message hits hard. Because even if we’re not billionaires, most of us have something—influence, money, time, experience. The real question is: what are we doing with it?
Chuck passed away in 2023, but his story—and this book—feel more relevant than ever. It’s not about wealth. It’s about purpose. And it quietly challenges us all to rethink what “success” really looks like.
Highly recommended. Whether you lead teams, manage capital, or just want to live with more intention—Chuck’s story sticks with you.
Read
August 17, 2022He earned a few dimes more helping the mailman post letters coming up to Christmas, and when it snowed he and a friend, Moose Foley, offered to clear people’s driveways.
She called him ‘the mayor’ because he knew everyone.”
Feeney made pocket money on weekends caddying at a golf course near Port Elizabeth.
Feeney began to make and sell sandwiches around the fraternities and sororities. He soon became known on the campus as the “Sandwich Man.”
Feeney made a deal with the tennis club manager to sweep the courts in return for playing for free.
A five-pack bought duty free in Europe cost $10, including delivery, while the same five bottles in the United States would cost over $30.
There was no need for capital, as they did not have to pay for the merchandise in advance.
They found “bird dogs” on board, to whom they promised commission for getting sailors to sign up for the five-packs
Often the best sources of information were the hookers in the ports.
The shop employed glamorous sales girls
They were free to spend their money as fast as they made it
She called him ‘the mayor’ because he knew everyone.”
Feeney made pocket money on weekends caddying at a golf course near Port Elizabeth.
Feeney began to make and sell sandwiches around the fraternities and sororities. He soon became known on the campus as the “Sandwich Man.”
Feeney made a deal with the tennis club manager to sweep the courts in return for playing for free.
A five-pack bought duty free in Europe cost $10, including delivery, while the same five bottles in the United States would cost over $30.
There was no need for capital, as they did not have to pay for the merchandise in advance.
They found “bird dogs” on board, to whom they promised commission for getting sailors to sign up for the five-packs
Often the best sources of information were the hookers in the ports.
The shop employed glamorous sales girls
They were free to spend their money as fast as they made it
November 30, 2023
I love the story of Göran Kropp who rode a bike 8,000 miles from Sweden to Nepal and then climbed Everest in 1996. He was within a couple of hundred meters of the summit when he found himself deep in snow and struggling to go any further when he realized the prudent thing was to turn back. Eight climbers died in the ensuing storm. Kropp then ascended Everest. I always admired that self-control to turn back even after coming so close to your goal.
In the world of billionaires I also find it amazing how many talk of giving away their fortunes or making a difference--but how few actually put their money to work. They lack the strength to make a real difference in the world they continue on in the storm of ego and greed.
Chuck Feeney is the Göran Kropp of philanthropy. He spent much of his later life giving away his billions--and most remarkably--gave it all away anonymously. The twists and turns of his career and philanthropy make for a great ride.
In the world of billionaires I also find it amazing how many talk of giving away their fortunes or making a difference--but how few actually put their money to work. They lack the strength to make a real difference in the world they continue on in the storm of ego and greed.
Chuck Feeney is the Göran Kropp of philanthropy. He spent much of his later life giving away his billions--and most remarkably--gave it all away anonymously. The twists and turns of his career and philanthropy make for a great ride.
Read
May 12, 2024I had never heard of Chuck Feeney before I stumbled upon an article that mentioned him. This made me read the Wikipedia page about him. A businessman, who made billions, spent half his life to give all his fortune away, anonymously! I couldn’t help but read the biography of this amazing person.
It’s a fascinating read all the way from his childhood, through his business endeavors, and his philanthropic activities. This man gave away money for health, education, and other causes, not only in the USA, but also in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Each time insisting on doing it anonymously and not taking any credit.
“It’s a lot more fun to give while you’re alive, than to give while you’re dead”
Warren Buffet has said of Feeney, “He is my hero and Bill Gates’ hero. He should be everybody’s hero.” He is definitely my hero too.
It’s a fascinating read all the way from his childhood, through his business endeavors, and his philanthropic activities. This man gave away money for health, education, and other causes, not only in the USA, but also in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Each time insisting on doing it anonymously and not taking any credit.
“It’s a lot more fun to give while you’re alive, than to give while you’re dead”
Warren Buffet has said of Feeney, “He is my hero and Bill Gates’ hero. He should be everybody’s hero.” He is definitely my hero too.
June 2, 2018
I enjoyed the early parts a lot more, where the book covers Feeney's early life and how he built up his business.
The later sections get a bit bogged down with the details of his philanthropy and some of the legal wrangling with his partners.
What I found interesting was how "out of the box" Feeney was/is as far as structuring his life and his company in a way that would make him happy. He didn't fall into the trap of thinking that he had to do the same thing as everybody else.
But I also see a cautionary tale in the disputes he had with his business partners at DFS and at his foundation. I wonder if he regrets not more clearly keeping control of both.
The later sections get a bit bogged down with the details of his philanthropy and some of the legal wrangling with his partners.
What I found interesting was how "out of the box" Feeney was/is as far as structuring his life and his company in a way that would make him happy. He didn't fall into the trap of thinking that he had to do the same thing as everybody else.
But I also see a cautionary tale in the disputes he had with his business partners at DFS and at his foundation. I wonder if he regrets not more clearly keeping control of both.
January 15, 2024
Chuck Feeney lived a fascinating life - his total commitment to "giving while living" is inspirational. The author went into a bit too much detail on how Feeney built his business empire and his foundation, making the book perhaps 50-70 pages too long. And I would have preferred to know more about how his personal philosophy developed and how it impacted his family life, but that would have been antithetical to Feeney's preference for privacy. I found the last few chapters the most interesting ... and a salutary lesson regarding how foundations can veer from their original mission but how Feeney managed to get his own back on track.
March 26, 2024
This book was recommended by a few people who said it inspired them to start 'giving while living' as opposed to leaving their wealth in their wills. Chuck Feeney was an inspiration to Bill Gates to sign the 'Giving Pledge'
The First half of the book is an inspiring story of entrepreneurship; midway through he decides to give away his wealth. The second half of his book goes into too much detail of what he gave for and how they did that, which I didn't find interesting. Chuck Feeney was a self made billionaire who secretly gave away all of his wealth for charity without publicity before he died.
The First half of the book is an inspiring story of entrepreneurship; midway through he decides to give away his wealth. The second half of his book goes into too much detail of what he gave for and how they did that, which I didn't find interesting. Chuck Feeney was a self made billionaire who secretly gave away all of his wealth for charity without publicity before he died.
May 20, 2024
Overall great story and generally though provoking book. I think the world would in general be a lot better if more people thought and acted like Chuck Feeney. I buy into the idea that great organisations and great things happen because of strong-willed individuals, and Chuck Feeney is one of those. His ideas and his enthusiasm enabled a huge amount of what was achieved in DFS and by Atlantic Philanthropy.
However, there's a lot of space for interesting discussion around to what extent it's ok to not pay taxes to increase philanthropic reach, and to what degree people should be able to pick and choose the things that matter in the world. It's good that someone like Feeney became rich and used these methods for good causes, but at the same time the world is obviously worse if most people do not behave in the same way. It always irks me a little bit when business people despise taxes when the government itself is what enables them to operate those businesses.
Overall very good.
However, there's a lot of space for interesting discussion around to what extent it's ok to not pay taxes to increase philanthropic reach, and to what degree people should be able to pick and choose the things that matter in the world. It's good that someone like Feeney became rich and used these methods for good causes, but at the same time the world is obviously worse if most people do not behave in the same way. It always irks me a little bit when business people despise taxes when the government itself is what enables them to operate those businesses.
Overall very good.
June 9, 2021
A fascinating read about an Irish American businessman of very humble beginnings and how he built a retailing empire. Chuck Feeney is an extraordinary individual, from whom we can learn a lot about the true importance of wealth and the value of giving. As an Irish man it was even more interesting the impact he had on Ireland contributing to education and the peace process. There is a lot of detail in the book but the amounts of money made by the business's and amounts given to charity are staggering. Very worth while read.
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