September 28, 2007

REGARDING your article on front page of the Mid-Ocean News today pertaining to Mr. Chuck Feeney, the billionaire who gave away his billions, I think I have some information of interest to add.

Mr. Feeney was my neighbour in Bermuda for some years, so your piece today interested me to the extent that I retrieved some additional information that I had saved from the New York Times dated January 23, 1997.

That front page article was published at the time Mr. Feeney decided to sell his interest in his duty free shops worldwide and he paid tax on the transaction unlike others and so was revealed as this secret philanthropist who up to that time had given away $610 million of his own money, so in 10 years or so he has given away a great deal more than $458 million obviously.

Conor O'Clery has written a newbook about Feeney entitled The Billionaire Who Wasn't. I imagine it will make for compelling reading, though I doubt it will reveal too much about this elusive man.

Certainly I had no idea all those years who my neighbour was. AndI still remember when he called in to my house to tell me his children had a party planned with some college friends I just thought this was an average person being polite to his neighbour because he had a band playing etc.

He was a very unlikely billionaire indeed being dressed simply with a modest demeanour, quietly spoken, etc.

It was only after the front page story in the New York Times that I learned who he really was.

We will never know just how much he donated to Bermuda, but we know he did include Bermuda in his donations.

Being both American and Irish he donated large sums to hospitals, college libraries, etc. in Ireland, i.e. Ulster and Eire.

It is difficult to understand how anyone could literally give away everything once his children had been provided for retaining only $5 million personally.

There is much more I could say but I respect his desire for privacy but I can say thank you for doing so much good for the world and setting such a great example to the rest of us.

We appreciate it most sincerely

BILL COOK

Paget