Chuck Feeney's humble life after giving away $8 billion: Duty Free Shoppers co-founder flew coach, bought off the rack and took the subway

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Chuck Feeney made billions selling lavish items to customers but kept very few for himself, instead opting for a $10 wristwatch and modest rented apartment.

The billionaire businessman turned philanthropist led a humble lifestyle after deciding to give away nearly all his $8 billion.

Feeney died on Monday at the age of 92, with his company Atlantic Philanthropies, the foundation he launched in 1982, announcing his passing. 
with his company Atlantic Philanthropies, the foundation he launched in 1982, announcing his passing. 

The foundation was wound up in 2020 when Feeney donated all its final funds to charities - which totaled more than $8 billion. 

Prior to this, Feeney had already turned on the typical lifestyle of a billionaire and moved away from the wealthy social groups he was associated with earlier in life. 

The billionaire is said to have stopped flying economy class, started buying clothes off the rack and gave up eating at fancy restaurants. 

Chuck Feeney, pictured in 2007, led a humble lifestyle after deciding to give away nearly all his $8 billion fortune

Feeney ( pictured with his second wife and long-time assistant, Helga Flaiz) died Monday at the age of 92 

Feeney lived in this modest apartment in San Francisco alongside his wife, which had been previously described as similar to a college dorm room 

He sold his limousines and started travelling using the subway or taxis . 

According to the New York Times, Feeney wore a $10 wristwatch in his later years and lived in a two-bedroom rented apartment in San Francisco with his wife. 

Forbes had also described his apartment as being similar to that of a college dorm room. 

Writer Conor O'Clery said in a biography on Feeney, titled 'The Billionaire Who Wasn't': 'When asked many years later if he was rich at this point in his life, he replied: 'How much is rich? 

'Beyond all expectations. Beyond all deserving, so to speak. I just reached the conclusion with myself that money, buying boats and all the trimmings didn't appeal to me.'

He told Forbes that he had nestled away $2 million for his and his wife's retirement following the move. 

At the time, he told the outlet: 'We learned a lot. We would do some things differently, but I am very satisfied. I feel very good about completing this on my watch.

'My thanks to all who joined us on this journey. And to those wondering about Giving While Living: Try it, you'll like it.' 

Feeney was a graduate of the Ivy League Cornell University and made his fortune when he co-founded Duty Free Shoppers, a chain of airport stores, along with a college friend, Robert Miller. 

He sold the company to LVMH in 1996. In retirement, Feeney adopted the 'Giving While Living' lifestyle, dedicating his life to contributing to causes that he believed in. 

In the biography by O'Clery, Feeney said: 'It's much more fun to give while you are alive than to give when you are dead.'

Atlantic Philanthropies operated for almost 30 years and donated $8 billion to various causes across the world.

In Ireland, where Feeney's ancestors hailed from, he gave to universities and hospitals.

Feeney raked in billions with the creation of Duty Free Shoppers with Robert Miller in 1960

Feeney had previously said that he had kept $2 million for him and his wife Helga, seen here, to live on during their retirement

Feeney was part of Bill and Melinda Gates' Giving Pledge. The Microsoft founder (pictured together) described him as a 'remarkable role model'

He also gave generously to Vietnam for infrastructure, and to human rights groups in Israel and Jordan while also paying for research into diseases, including cancer, in every continent.

During his philanthropic career, Feeney sought to remain anonymous and thus recipients were largely paid in cashier's checks. 

His foundation was incorporated in Bermuda and therefore he did not have to disclose donations for US tax requirements.

In 1984, he transferred his 35 percent shares in Duty Free Shoppers to Atlantic Philanthropies. In 1997, he sold his position in LVMH.

He was on record as saying that he had made financial provisions for his five children after his passing and retained around $2 million from his business career.

The former billionaire married twice in his life, first to French national Danielle Morali-Daninos, with whom he had five children, and later to his long-time assistant Helga Flaiz.

Feeney's children worked as maids, waiters and cashiers throughout their time at college but shared $140 million of the money from his company Duty Free Shoppers.  

In addition to his wife and children, he is also survived by his 16 grandchildren.

Feeney was born hard into a working class Irish-American family in northern New Jersey during the Great Depression that struggled to pay their $32 per month mortgage.

Feeney was born into a working class Irish-American family in northern New Jersey during the Great Depression that struggled to pay their $32 per month mortgage

During his philanthropic career, Feeney, pictured here on the left, sought to remain anonymous and thus recipients were largely paid in cashier's checks

He joined the Air Force and was stationed in Japan before becoming the first member of his family to go to college when he was accepted into Cornell, where he studied hotel management.

After graduation, he moved to Barcelona, where he got the idea to sell goods, especially booze, cigarettes and perfume, to Americans returning home.

Feeney made a fortune through Duty Free Shoppers, smartly invested in Silicon Valley, and at one point he owned homes in New York, London, Paris, Aspen, Hawaii and along the French Riviera. 

He was once the 24th richest person in America, according to Forbes.

A tribute to Feeney on the school's website calls him Cornell's 'third founder' thanks to the masses of financial contributions he made over the years, totaling $1 billion. Atlantic Philanthropies final donation was a $7 million gift to the school.

Since 2011, Feeney was a member of Bill and Melinda Gates' Giving Pledge, a group of billionaires who promised to give away most of their wealth before their deaths.

'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,' Feeney said at the time. 

Speaking to Forbes in 2012, Bill Gates called Feeney a 'remarkable role model' and the 'ultimate example of giving while living.'

Another philanthropic billionaire, Warren Buffet, called Feeney his 'hero' and added 'he should be everybody's hero.'

Feeney fulfilled his four-decade mission of giving away his $8billion fortune to charity. He kept aside $2million for his and his wife's retirement

He was prominent with his giving to Northern Ireland, donating both to the IRA's political wing, Sinn Fein, and to their enemies Ulster Defence Association, a move which helped to pave the way for the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Feeney, whose ancestors came from Fermanagh, was one of those present at the dawn of the power-sharing government in Northern Ireland in 2007.

His donations to Ireland are thought to have been close to $2 billion.

Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams called Feeney a 'good friend' and an 'extraordinary human being' in a statement following news of his passing.

Meanwhile in Australia, one tribute referred to him as 'Queensland's Godsend' thanks to his nearly $600 million in donations to the state.