Christian Living

Chuck Feeney, “The Charitable Billionaire Who Wasn't”

by RikCharbonneaux. To Your Health  
12/03/25
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Chuck Feeney, “The Charitable Billionaire Who Wasn't” 

"The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these'".  Mark 12:3 NIV

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord".  Leviticus 19:18 KJV

"I cannot think of a more personally rewarding and appropriate use of wealth than to give while one is living—to personally devote oneself to meaningful efforts to improve the human condition.” Chuck Feeney

The story about the Dell Family [NBC 12/1/56] donating $6B to the newly established “Trump Accounts” for children is a stellar example of the rich giving a part of their wealth to improve the human condition in a specific manner to unfold a better future for selected children.  Most commendable, but there is yet another who gave on an even larger scale than the Dells, who is my personal hero: Chuck Feeney.

Chuck Feeney was an American Billionaire ($8 billion) who gave all of his money away to charitable causes over a period of 38 years through his creation, Atlantic Philanthropies.  His only request of the recipients was that they not disclose the source, in accordance with the Christian command to be anonymous when gifting.

“But when you give to the poor and do acts of kindness, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing”   Matthew 6:3 NIV [give in complete secrecy].

Typical of self-made men of faith, Feeney had worked his way up through the school of hard knocks to finance his college education, while at the same time practicing his faith through personal example, for his favorite bible verse to quote and inspire others to give was: “Love your neighbor.”  And as he knew from his faith that true Christian giving had to be from the heart, he left that up to the Lord to inspire others.

“I’d be the last guy to tell a wealthy person what to do with their money.  They are entitled to whatever they want.”

From 1982 until September 14,  2020, Chuck had given away over $8 billion through his non-profit  Atlantic Philanthropies and closed the door, taking only $2 million for himself to retire on.  As he was a frugal man all his life (raised during the Gŕeat Depression), he retired to a small rented apartment in San Francisco and was still in the habit of carrying important papers around in a plastic grocery sack.

As the Irish say, he was “true to a fault”*, because he divorced his wife of 32 years and married his secretary four years later.  Other than that, he closed out a wonderful life of cheerful giving on October 9, 2023, at age 93 in San Fransico.

Such a fine example of a cheerful giver who gave it all away.

“Chuck has set an example. It’s a real honor to talk about a fellow who is my hero and Bill Gates’s hero.  He should be everybody's hero.”  .. Warren Buffett, presenting Feeney with the 2014 Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award.

“I had one idea that never changed in my mind—that you should use your wealth to help people.”  Chuck Feeney

All in all, what a life story of a cheerful giver. He had a true and giving heart for mankind.  His generosity is still inspiring others like Warren Buffett, who has given away more than $60 billion

*In the Irish: Nil aon chlaonadh gan locth - "There is no wise man without a fault.”