Remarkable life and times of Chuck Feeney — the billionaire who gave it all away

From humble beginnings, the late Chuck Feeney went on to share the wealth as part of his life’s work, writes Sorcha Crowley

Chuck Feeney. By the time his firm Atlantic Philanthropies was finally wound up in 2020, it had donated over $8bn (€7.56bn) to education, health and peace initiatives in Ireland, South Africa, Vietnam, Australia and the US.

When in Ireland, Charles “Chuck” Feeney loved nothing more than sitting down in the middle of the University of Limerick to watch the young students dashing past. Most, if not all, had no idea that the elderly gentleman sitting quietly among them, hiding in plain sight, was the elusive billionaire philanthropist responsible for founding the university and transforming Limerick.

Mr Feeney, who died at 92 years in the US on Monday, would stay at the Castletroy Park Hotel, which he built himself. He’d get up at dawn and walk through the campus’ main thoroughfare, collecting litter.