philanthropists News

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Lottery Winner Becomes One of LA's Biggest Philanthropists

Like many people, Cynthia Stafford dreamed of winning the lottery. Unlike the others, Stafford's dreams came true. In May 2007, Stafford won $112 million playing Lotto, but what is most amazing is that she'd been planning the big win for a while and even had a written strategy. As a firm believer in the power of...

Slum-Touring Millionaires Put Off the Ritz in Israel

JERUSALEM -- Ronald L. Gallatin is a retired attorney, a CPA and a former managing director at Lehman Brothers credited with creating some of Wall Street's most ingenious investment instruments. His wife, Meryl, is a prominent philanthropist in Florida charity circles. But when they visit Israel, they prefer hanging around...

Top 5 Most Intriguing Billionaires Taking 'The Giving Pledge'

(Aug. 4) -- Talk about leading by example. When Bill Gates and Warren Buffett unveiled the "The Giving Pledge" six weeks ago, it seemed like they were going out on a limb in agreeing to give the majority of their fortunes (from Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway, respectively) to charitable endeavors. Now, after working the...

Background on philanthropists

Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of life"—balancing the social-scientific aspect emphasized in the 20th century, with the long-traditional and original humanist core of the word's ancient coinage.

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