In the world of finance, very few people are more well-known and respected than Warren Buffett. The Oracle of Omaha, as he is also known, is the greatest investor we have seen in a century and continues to be the shining star whom investors worldwide look to for guidance. But who does Buffett admire and look up to? His name is Chuck Feeney.
Who is Chuck Feeney? He is the biggest billionaire (or should I say former billionaire?) that you have never heard of. Feeney created his wealth by co-founding a chain of duty-free stores and late made it his promise to donate every cent he made to charitable causes.
Basically, after spending his whole career amassing a large fortune, his next goal was to give it all away. For years Feeney tried to do this as covertly as possible, donating large sums anonymously and avoiding the public eye as best he could. But, as we all know, very little can stay hidden from the public eye for long. At the age of 89, Feeney finally reached his goal by giving away his entire fortune which totaled $8 billion.
Warren Buffett follows the steps of his hero, forms the Giving Pledge
Now billionaires like Buffett and Bill Gates have pledged similar goals. At a dinner in New York attended by some of the nation’s wealthiest people, Buffett and Gates announced the Giving Pledge. The pledge convinced 210 (and growing) other billionaires to commit to giving away at least half of their net worth.
