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Chuck Feeney Is Now Officially Broke

forbes.com

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Re: Chuck Feeney Is Now Officially Broke

#41

Post by mulmen »

sudhirj wrote: post #6

This is a role model I can actually appreciate. I can't figure out why this is the first time I've heard of him. I've seen lots of news about people buying expensive shit, but the fact that this has never come to my attention is a horrible indicator of what the media chooses to report on.

I wonder if a person was more involved in charitable giving if they would have heard about this guy before? Mainstream news coverage isn't going to cover him much but stories have been written, he worked closely with Gates and Buffet.

My takeaway from this story is to spend my time on things that matter to me. It's a reminder that our news sources are really just another form of entertainment, which is not something that can give your life meaning or a sense of accomplishment.

Re: Chuck Feeney Is Now Officially Broke

#42

Post by olivermarks »

leesec wrote: post #26
olivermarks wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd love to know what Feeney thinks of Gates in 2020

Why?

https://www.ft.com/content/f999c4e4-78a2-4f83-9beb-91c15dccd...

Opinion Coronavirus treatment Bill & Melinda Gates: Vaccine fairness will make us all safer | Free to read Sharing Covid-19 jabs equitably would result in fewer deaths and faster control everywhere'

Re: Chuck Feeney Is Now Officially Broke

#44

Post by Invictus0 »

sandworm101 wrote: post #40

>>> When I first met him in 2012, he estimated he had set aside about $2 million for his and his wife's retirement. I don't know about everyone else on HN, but having 2mil in the bank is not my definition of "Broke". I want to see what trusts have been setup. What life estates has he retained? I credit him for giving most all of it away, but "broke" doesn't mean you are worth 0.0001% of some huge number. Broke means…

What's your point? That in his 80s he should be struggling for rent money after giving over 8 billion to charity?

Re: Chuck Feeney Is Now Officially Broke

#45

Post by s_dev »

olivermarks wrote: post #20
trynewideas wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In February 2011, Feeney became a signatory to The Giving Pledge. In his letter to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, the founders of The Giving Pledge, Feeney writes, "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. More importantly, today's needs are so great and varied that…

I'd love to know what Feeney thinks of Gates in 2020

They both think highly of each other and are on the record having said so.

Re: Chuck Feeney Is Now Officially Broke

#46

Post by mulmen »

zozbot234 wrote: post #36
hogFeast wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can also donate your time.

Well, if you're working in paid employment it will usually be a lot more effective to put in some more time at work, and give away some of the resulting income. "Donating your time" can of course be genuinely worthwhile if you're, e.g. a scientist who might want to do useful research on globally-relevant, critical issues; just not very much otherwise.

I disagree. I wouldn't spend too much time thinking about what other people have done. Just what I can do. Just working in a food bank or picking up roadside trash on a weekend. It doesn't take much.

Re: Chuck Feeney Is Now Officially Broke

#47

Post by sandworm101 »

Invictus0 wrote: post #44
sandworm101 wrote: post #40

>>> When I first met him in 2012, he estimated he had set aside about $2 million for his and his wife's retirement. I don't know about everyone else on HN, but having 2mil in the bank is not my definition of "Broke". I want to see what trusts have been setup. What life estates has he retained? I credit him for giving most all of it away, but "broke" doesn't mean you are worth 0.0001% of some huge number. Broke means…

What's your point? That in his 80s he should be struggling for rent money after giving over 8 billion to charity?

The point is that Forbes shouldn't be using terms like broke to describe millionaires when there are millions of people who are actually broke living incredibly difficult lives.

Re: Chuck Feeney Is Now Officially Broke

#49

Post by capableweb »

zozbot234 wrote: post #36
hogFeast wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can also donate your time.

Well, if you're working in paid employment it will usually be a lot more effective to put in some more time at work, and give away some of the resulting income. "Donating your time" can of course be genuinely worthwhile if you're, e.g. a scientist who might want to do useful research on globally-relevant, critical issues; just not very much otherwise.

Now there is no way of obviously measuring this, but I'd make the case that donating time (volunteering on the ground) to organizations is way better than donating money. First, money goes through so many layers that it's hard to actually know what they go to, and how much actually ends up being useful and not just scavenged by middlemen. Secondly, donating your time by volunteering gives you more than just the feeling of feeling good. You also gain so much more perspective on life that will make you a better person, you'll appreciate what you have more and you can make sure what you actually spend time on is worthwhile.

So, please donate time by volunteering! But if you can't, money is also good of course.

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