The Billionaire Who Wasn’t: How Chuck Feeney Secretly Made and Gave Away a Fortune by Conor O'Clery

The Billionaire Who Wasn’t is a fascinating story of how Chuck Feeney quietly made and gave away a vast fortune. Written by Conor O’Clery, it’s the story of an Irish-American self-made billionaire who gave away his entire fortune. While Feeney remains one of the wealthiest and most generous philanthropists of all time, he never wanted to be thought of as such.

Feeney was born in 1931 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the third of five boys to a working-class Irish Catholic family. At the age of 18, he left college to fight in the Korean War, where he earned a host of military honors. Following the war, Feeney returned to college and earned a degree in International Business. He then co-founded Duty Free Shoppers (DFS), setting up duty-free shops in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Caribbean that allowed travelers to buy luxury items at airports. The business was incredibly successful, and in 1996 it was sold to LVMH for $2.5 billion.

Feeney made his fortune through hard work and dedication, but he had no interest in living the life of a billionaire. Instead, he chose to give it all away, setting up the Atlantic Philanthropies — a foundation dedicated to using his money to improve education and health, create social change, and promote peace and reconciliation around the world.

Feeney was never comfortable with having his philanthropic efforts be viewed as ostentatious, so he chose to keep his actions largely unknown. Feeney lived modestly, even after becoming a billionaire, and kept his philanthropic efforts hidden from public view. To maintain his sense of privacy, Feeney made sure Atlantic Philanthropies was incorporated offshore, and that its records remain largely private. Feeney also refused interviews and publicity, and he insisted that his trustees keep his identity hidden.

Since then, Feeney has given away his entire fortune to various charities and social causes, becoming one of the greatest philanthropists of modern times. The bulk of his philanthropic efforts go to improving education, health care and social change around the world. Through his generosity and commitment to philanthropy, Feeney has improved the lives of millions of people and will continue to do so for many years to come.

The Billionaire Who Wasn’t is a story of a man who quietly decided to make and give away a fortune. It’s an inspiring tale of generosity, humility and philanthropy that will leave you with a newfound respect and appreciation for Chuck Feeney and his commitment to changing the world.

By the time he dies, Chuck Feeney will have given away an estimated $8 billion in charitable donations. His story proves that any one person can have a tremendous positive impact on the world if they simply choose to do so. This book is a worthwhile read for anyone looking to find inspiration and motivation to make a difference in the world.