1/10/10

Revisit: Sandy Weill to give $1.4bn in 'Deal with God'

Original article published in 2006 in the Times Online:
Weill to give $1.4bn in 'deal with God'

SANDY WEILL, the former high-flying Citigroup chairman who was renowned for his love of private jets, has pledged to give away his estimated $1.4 billion ... personal fortune as part of a “deal with God”.

The 73-year-old, who rose from humble origins in Brooklyn to become one of the most successful executives of his era, says that he will spend his retirement disposing of his fortune to charity.

In an interview with Citigroup Pursuits, a magazine for the American bank’s private clients, he said: “Hopefully we’ll be as smart in how we give our money away as we turned out to be smart in making it.”

On the decision to give his fortune away, he said: “That’s the deal I’ve made with God. I hope that he gives us the time.”

He added that his autobiography would emphasise philanthropy as much as business and quoted his wife, Joanie, as saying: “Shrouds don’t have pockets.”...
Two points.

The article does not go back to delve into Weill's numerous earlier "deals with the devil" that enabled him to amass his mammoth wealth.

Weill isn't focusing on Jewish philanthropy. God may not like that deal idea. Sandy should know better by now how to hedge his deals.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"This article is incomplete. "

When you donate thousands of dollars to charity, would you like the stories in the paper about your charity to 'be complete'?