The Billionaire Who Wasn't

Charles Feeney made his fortune by creating chains of duty-free shops in airports several decades ago. The businessman then turned nearly his entire fortune over to his foundation in 1987. Mr. Feeney plans to give away the rest of his assets, now valued at $4-billion, by 2017.

Since 1982, Mr. Feeney has awarded roughly $4-billion in grants through his Atlantic Philanthropies Foundation. He was able to hide his involvement with the organization for years by setting it up in Bermuda to avoid U.S. disclosure requirements.

He has shared details of his life and charitable interests in his upcoming biography, “The Billionaire Who Wasn’t” by Colon O'Clery.

Full-text article by Jim Dwyer via The New York Times, 9.26.07.