Born as Charles Francis Feeney on the 23rd April 1931 in Elizabeth, New Jersey USA, he is best known as a businessman and philanthropist, who gave away the entirety of his vast fortune to charity. While in business, he was a co-founder of the Duty Free Shoppers Group (DFS), alongside Robert Warren Miller, which soon became the main source of his wealth as the company grew in its worth and significance.
Have you ever wondered how rich Chuck Feeney is? According to sources, it is estimated that Chuck Feeney`s net worth is now $2 million, but before he became such a generous philanthropist, it totaled $7.5 billion.
Chuck Feeney Net Worth $2 Million
Raised in Elizabeth, Chuck`s childhood was marked by poverty, as his parents were modest blue-collar workers of Irish-American ancestry. However, thanks to his skills, he eventually managed to sneak out of his roots. Regarding his education, Chuck attended the prestigious Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, where he earned his degree.
Chuck served as a radio operator in the U.S Army Force during the Korean War, and then prior to establishing his own company, Chuck worked as a seller in the duty-free liquor stores to US naval personnel at Mediterranean ports during the1950s, and his net worth began to grow with the start of 1960s, when he established the Duty Free Shoppers Group with Robert Warren Miller. In no time the company became one of the biggest travel retailers, opening its first store in Hong Kong, where its headquarters are still located, and soon expanded throughout Europe and other continents as well.
In 1996, Feeney sold his shares of the company to the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH), for a deal which was worth $1.63 billion, which he later invested in founding the Atlantic Philanthropies.
To speak of his philanthropic activities, Chuck has given 99% of his wealth to charity, largely through his ‘Atlantic Philanthropies’, which include numerous fields, such as education, medical research among others.
He is also a member of “The Giving Pledge”, which was founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, and in his letter to the founders he stated that he can`t think of another use of his wealth than to help others who are less fortunate, and live in poor conditions. He has donated over $1 billion to the education in Ireland, which includes the University of Limerick, and other third-level institutions. Feeney has also donated a sizable amount to Cornell University. Feeney`s donations amount to over $6 billion, but in the future he expects to spend the remainder of his wealth.
Thanks to his actions, Feeney has been rewarded with numerous prestigious awards, including the Cornell Icon of Industry Award, Republic of Ireland’s Presidential Distinguisted Service Award for Irish Abroad, UCSF Medal, Irish-America Magazine’s Hall of Fame, and many others.
To speak about his personal life, he is currently married to Helga, his second wife. His first marriage was to Danielle; he has four daughters and one son, but is known as a rather frugal father.
