5 Rich People Who Have Used their Fortunes to do Good
For most of us, our biggest dream is to suddenly come into a lot of money and use it to buy nice things and live in the lap of luxury. The idea of paying off all your bills, buying your dream house and booking endless luxurious and expensive tropical vacations just seems too good to be true.
There are many, many people who have found themselves suddenly rich and don’t know what to do with it, and lots of these people end up blowing the lot or simply investing it for a rainy day. However, there are also a great deal of people who take this money and use it to do a lot of good. So take a moment, and let your heart be warmed by these five people who have used their money to make the world a slightly better place.
J.K. Rowling
She’s known all around the world as the woman who created the beloved Harry Potter series that made the childhoods of millions of children magical, but not everyone knows that she’s also an incredibly charitable woman. Rowling began writing Harry Potter as a single mother who was living on £70 per week, and her success led to her becoming a billionaire. With her money, she has donated over $160 million to charities and used a lot to set up her own charity called Lumos, which helps end the institutionalization of children all around the world. In fact, she’s given so much of her money away, she’s actually lost her billionaire status!
Jon Heywood
Jon Heywood’s story is a remarkable one. He has served as a soldier and completed tours of Afghanistan, and upon his return, he decided to place a small bet of only 25p on a progressive jackpot slot at Betway. Little did he know, this little bet would change his life, as he ended up winning the jackpot of a whopping £13, 213, 838.68, the highest jackpot to have ever been won in the world. He kept this a secret for three whole days, even coming into work as normal the following day, before breaking his silence. With his winnings, he told the BBC he would get the best medical treatment possible to help his poorly father on the path to recovery.
Rachel Lapierre
Winning the lottery is a far-off dream for many of us, but for Rachel Lapierre, this dream came true. In 2013, the former Miss Quebec won a lifetime salary of $1000 per week in Quebec’s lottery, and with her winnings, she has decided to dedicate the rest of her life to charitable causes. She has set up a non-profit organization which uses the power of social media to connect disadvantaged people with people who can help them out.
Frane Selak
You probably haven’t heard about Frane Selak, but his story is incredible. The 81-year-old has escaped death not once, not twice but seven times throughout his life. This man is regarded as the luckiest man on earth, as not only has he seemingly got nine lives, but he won almost $1 million in a raffle draw just two days after his 73rd birthday! However, he decided that the money wouldn’t make him happy, so he sold his house and gave the money from that and his winnings to family and friends. Afterwards, he vowed to live a simple life, and he only kept enough money for a hip operation in order to spend more time in the company of his wife. What a guy!
Sam Simon
The Simpsons is one of the most well known and beloved cartoons in the whole world, and it has spawned 29 seasons on FOX, 28 video games, a movie and endless merchandise. We’ve all heard of creator Matt Groening, but not all of us know of Sam Simon. Sam Simon is the co-creator of The Simpsons and sadly, he died of cancer back in 2015. Remarkably, with the $100 million he has made from the series, he decided to donate his fortune to charity. He had a passion for animals and so a large portion of his money will go to the Sam Simon Foundation, a charity he set up to provide service dogs to army veterans and food to disadvantaged families.