That was billionaire Robert Hale who delivered a commencement speech at Dartmouth University. Instead of the typical speech such as “Follow your dreams,” or “be yourself,” or “Work hard” so on and so forth, he gave hard cold cash, in envelopes. 1,200 envelops with $1,000 cash money. That’s $1.2 million dollars. That’s the best way to showcase the gift of giving.
Of course, many people in the internet were jealous and criticized the generous gesture.
So the first question I have is Who is Robert Hale? If he wanted our attention, he got it.
Robert Hale Jr. the founder and CEO of Granite Telecommunications and his net worth is about $5.4 Billion. To be honest, I never heard of Granite Telecommunications.
It’s not the first time that Robert Hale gives his money away. In 2021, he also gave to all 490 graduates of Quincy College $1,000 in cash.
Previously he donated $270 million to the fight against cancer. He also pledged to donate $1 million a week to small non-profits locally and beyond.
I heard all the time. Billionaires become billionaires by being greedy.
The fact is that billionaires become billionaires by producing value for the masses and only keeping a small percentage of that value for themselves. And then, they give most of it away either while still alive or after they die.
An example of a billionaire who has created a lot of value is Elon Musk.
Here are some examples of billionaires philanthropy.
John D. Rockefeller: He donated more than $500 million dollars to various educational, religious, and scientific causes through the Rockefeller Foundation. He funded the establishment of the University of Chicago and the Rockefeller Institute, among many other philanthropic endeavors.
Andrew Carnegie: Known for his contributions to education, libraries, and world peace. One of the most tangible examples of Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropy was the founding of 2,509 libraries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Of these libraries, 1,679 were built in the United States.
Henry Ford: Founder of Ford Motor Company, he established the Ford Foundation, which focuses on education, poverty alleviation, and economic development.
Warren Buffett: Warren Buffett has a lifetime giving of $56.7 billion. The Berkshire Hathaway CEO giving focuses on health and poverty alleviation. The 93-year-old has a net worth of $131 billion.
Bill Gates: Bill Gates a have a lifetime giving of $42.5 billion, with a giving focus on health and poverty alleviation.
George Soros: Hedge fund founder George Soros, 93, has a lifetime giving amount of $21 billion with his donations focusing on democracy and human rights. Soros has a net worth of $6.7 billion.
Mark Zuckerberg: Mark Zuckerberg have a lifetime giving amount of $4.5 billion, with their giving focusing on science and education. His net worth is $165 billion.
Jeff Bezos: Jeff Bezos announced the creation of a $100 million Maui Fund in 2023 after the fire destroyed parts of the Hawaiian island. The Amazon founder has a lifetime giving of $3.33 billion with a giving focus on the environment and education. Bezos has a net worth of $196 billion.
J.K. Rowling: Best known as the author of the Harry Potter series, she’s supported various charitable causes, including literacy, poverty alleviation, and multiple sclerosis research.
And there are thousands and thousands of millionaires and billionaires philanthropists. They recognize their good fortune and they are giving back to the society that has been so generous to them.
Previous opinion posts