10 Individuals Who Donated Their Fortunes to Charity
Some wealthy individuals chose to use their resources to make other people’s lives better. Their decisions didn’t follow a single pattern, as some responded to personal events, while others adhered to long-standing beliefs about money. Each one’s story is a unique approach to being generous to those less fortunate.
Here are a few examples that illustrate how large donations can support education, healthcare, community programs, or even everyday logistics for those in need.
Chuck Feeney
Credit: Youtube
Living modestly by choice, Chuck Feeney contributed almost all his resources while avoiding the spotlight. His foundation secretly distributed over $6 billion to causes related to health, education, and human rights. He rented a small apartment, never owned a car, and refused luxury. Feeney believed money should be used while it could still make a difference.
Jon Pedley
Credit: lovemoney
After Jon Pedley survived a life-threatening car crash, he reconsidered everything about how he spent his life. He sold his farmhouse and business, then moved to Uganda to support a charity helping orphans and young people in crisis. He resided in a mud hut and worked directly with the local community.
Zell Kravinsky
Credit: Wikipedia
According to Zell Kravinsky, money served little purpose if it wasn’t being used to help others. After building a successful real estate portfolio, he redirected $45 million to public health and education efforts. Kravinsky described his decisions as acts of rational altruism and openly discussed the ethics behind them.
Frano Selak
Credit: telegraph
Frano Selak is known for surviving a series of life-threatening accidents. He gained unexpected fame long before he ever won the lottery. After claiming nearly $1 million in prize money, he bought a private island home but soon found it didn’t suit the life he wanted. He provided financial support to friends and family, sold the property, and returned to his modest home in Petrinja.
Yu Panglin
Credit: scmp
Raised in poverty, Yu Panglin never forgot what it meant to go without. That early experience shaped his views on wealth and responsibility. Later in life, he donated $470 million to his foundation and grew it to $1.2 billion. He arranged for HSBC to manage the funds to further ensure long-term impact.
Brian Burnie
Credit: quorumpark
Once Brian Burnie witnessed the challenges cancer patients faced just getting to treatment, he decided to take action. He sold his estate and hotel and used the funds to launch a free transport service for those in need of care. As the service grew, he sold his second home to keep it running.
George Carroll
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
It started with success in lumber and oil, but George Carroll used that success to build more than wealth. He gave generously to his Baptist church, funded a university, and helped establish the Beaumont YMCA. His donations eventually surpassed what he kept for himself. In his final years, Carroll lived in a small room at the YMCA.
Percy Ross
Credit: Youtube
Building his fortune through a plastics company, Percy Ross later gained widespread attention for his unusual approach to giving. Through his newspaper column, Thanks A Million, he invited readers to share their financial struggles. Many received direct assistance, often in the form of mailed checks or in-person visits. The column ran for over a decade and helped thousands of people.
Yevgeny Pushenko
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
During the economic shift of the 1990s, Yevgeny Pushenko built a successful clothing factory in Vladivostok. Without warning, he handed the business over to friends and began a 9,000-mile pilgrimage to Jerusalem. After reaching his destination, he took the name Athanassios and settled in a monastery on Mount Athos in Greece.
Tom Shadyac
Credit: Youtube
A cycling accident pushed Tom Shadyac to reconsider the life he had built through Hollywood success. Known for directing major comedies, he stepped away from the industry, sold his mansion, and refrained from luxury spending. He moved into a trailer and began supporting causes focused on simplicity and community.