Cụ ông Jack MacDonald sống đạm bạc
Một
cụ ông lớn tuổi sống đạm bạc, thường mặc áo quần vá víu và đi xe Buýt thay vì
taxi, đã làm cho bệnh viện Seattle Children's Research Institute kinh ngạc, khi
để lại cho viện món tiền lớn nhất từ trước đến nay, dành cho việc nghiên cứu
sức khỏe trẻ em.
Trung
tâm nghiên cứu của bệnh viện sẽ nhận được phần lớn nhất trích từ quỹ từ thiện
$188,000,000 do cụ Jack MacDonald, qua đời ở tuổi 98, sau nhiều thập niên hoạt
động từ thiện bí mật.
Chỉ
có một vài thân nhân và thân hữu biết được là cụ ông có nếp sống rất đơn
giản này, trong vòng 60 năm qua, đã sử dụng tài đầu tư chứng khoán, chọn mua cổ
phiếu, để biến gia tài cha mẹ để lại cho ông thành một tài sản khổng lồ, dành
cho mục đích giúp đời.
Được
biết cụ MacDonald cũng để lại một phần quỹ từ thiện của mình cho University of
Washington School of Law và Salvation Army.
Jack
and wife Mary
Thủ
quỹ của Seattle Children's Research Institute cho biết cụ McDonald là người rất
khiêm nhường, sống ẩn dật, hay thăm viếng bệnh viện và tỏ ra thông cảm với bệnh
nhân và người nhà của họ.
Cụ MacDonald rất yêu thích những câu chuyện bình phục của người bệnh,
nói rằng những câu chuyện này chứa nhiều niềm hy vọng, khiến cụ xúc động, và
muốn hiến gia tài của mình cho việc nghiên cứu y khoa.
Frugal
man Jack MacDonald of Seattle
A
MAN who wore jumpers with holes in them to seem poor has left $US187.6 million
($205 million) to a children's hospital, a university and the Salvos.
The
Seattle Times reports that local attorney Jack MacDonald, who died in
September aged 98, once spotted a sale on frozen orange juice and bought so
many cans that he had to buy a stand-alone freezer just to store them all.
That
was the type of man he was. Never one to catch a cab when a bus was available.
Even after he suffered a fall in July and acquired a head injury that would
eventually end his life, MacDonald's stepdaughter Regen Dennis says he told the
neurosurgeon to use generic drugs and not "those expensive brand-name
drugs."
"Jack
went out of his way to look poor, partly because he didn’t want to be badgered
by people who wanted money," Ms Dennis said.
About
40 per cent of MacDonald's $US187.6 million trust will go to Seattle Children's
Hospital, even though he had no children of his own.
The
University of Washington 's
School of Law
MacDonald
chose the organisations to honour his parents. His mother Katherine was a
longtime fundraiser for the Seattle Children's Hospital, while his father,
Frederick, worked closely with many blue collar workers, hence the donation to
the Salvation Army.
"He
was very, very loyal to his parents' wishes," Ms Dennis said.
MacDonald
inherited some money from his parents after they died and was able to stockpile
the large fortune through his frugal ways and by clever stock market picks.
"He
didn’t trust a lot of other people to do his research; he directed what he
wanted bought, and he really knew what he wanted," Ms Dennis said of her
stepfather's involvement in the stock market.
MacDonald
didn't marry until 1971, when he was in his 50s, to Ms Dennis's mum, Mary
Moore, who had two grown children.
Ms
Dennis said they didn't move into a glamorous house or buy an expensive car but
her mum did encourage MacDonald to travel and the pair saw Europe, Australia , Canada
and Africa before Moore
MacDonald
though didn't just wait until he died to spread his wealth.
He
sent about $150,000 - anonymously, at first - to the little village of Elora ,
Canada , where his paternal
grandfather lived after emigrating from Scotland
The
Ontario
"It
doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but we’re not a big town, and without his
contribution we wouldn’t have been able to build it (the town hall)," said
Steve Thorning, who served on the town council in the 1990s.
Elora named the town's square in MacDonald's honour. He is now buried
there alongside his parents.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.