Chuck Feeney

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chuck Feeney
Born
Charles Francis Feeney

(1931-04-23)April 23, 1931
DiedOctober 9, 2023(2023-10-09) (aged 92)
CitizenshipIreland & United States
Alma materSt. Mary of the Assumption High School Cornell University
OccupationFounder of The Atlantic Philanthropies
Spouses
  • Danielle J. Feeney
    (m. 1959; div. 1991)
  • Helga Feeney (m. 1995)
ChildrenJuliette, Caroleen, Diane, Leslie and Patrick

Charles Francis "Chuck" Feeney (April 23, 1931 – October 9, 2023)[1] is an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the largest private foundations in the world.

Feeney made his fortune as a co-founder of the Duty Free Shoppers Group, which pioneered the idea of duty-free shopping. Feeney gave away his fortune in secret for many years, until a business dispute resulted in his identity being revealed in 1997.[2] Over the course of his life, Feeney has given away more than $8 billion.[3]

Feeney is known for his frugality, living in a rented apartment, not owning a car or a house, and flying economy-class.[4]

Feeney died in San Francisco on October 9, 2023, at the age of 92.[5]

References[change | change source]

  1. Dwyer, Jim (2007-09-26). "Out of Sight, Till Now, and Giving Away Billions". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
  2. Miller, Judith (1997-01-23). "He Gave Away $600 Million, and No One Knew". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  3. Dwyer, Jim (2017-01-05). "'James Bond of Philanthropy' Gives Away the Last of His Fortune". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
  4. Taoiseach launches Chuck Feeney Biography at Trinity College Dublin
  5. "Chuck Feeney, Irish American billionaire who gave his fortune away, passes". IrishCentral.com. 9 October 2023.

Other websites[change | change source]

Quotations related to Chuck Feeney at Wikiquote