He wears a $15 watch, flies economy class and does not own a house or car. For years, few guessed that Chuck Feeney was one of the world’s biggest philanthropists, secretly giving away his billionaire fortune.
Born in New Jersey during the Depression to a blue-collar Irish-American family, Feeney co-founded Duty Free Shoppers (DFS), the world’s largest duty-free retail chain.
‘I set out to work hard, not to get rich’
“I had one idea that never changed in my mind — that you should use your wealth to help people. I try to live a normal life, the way I grew up,” Feeney said.
The Atlantic Philanthropies, co-founded by Feeney, has given away $4 billion in a quarter of a century, including over $2 billion in the United States, more than $1 billion in Ireland, as well as large sums in Vietnam, Australia, South Africa, Thailand and Cuba, according to O’Clery’s book.
Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20871397/

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