My most interesting passenger has died.
Chuck Feeney got into my taxi around 2005. I brought him to the Berkley court from the airport and we had a conversation that was an education.
I would love to be a taxi driver he said. Any city I go to and I have a problem I go to the taxi rank. They will know or they will know someone who can solve my problem. Look you are not tied 9 to 5 and if you listen to the people in the back you might come up with a great idea.
He came up with a great idea and became a Billionaire, so simple. He invented duty free shopping. He had a vast fortune of over $8 billion and he used his entire wealth to help people around the world.
He built Limerick university and the school of hotel management in Shannon. He pays the wages of one professor in every university in the 32 counties. He financed a research project for dementia. He built a 200 bed hospital in Vietnam and he paid the running costs until it came on line. Like me he wears a $10 watch. As long as it tells the time who cares how much it cost.
I will pass on one very valuable lesson that he gave me. If you earn €100 per week or €1000 per week. That is your limit, keep your spending in line with your income.
If you go to the States and you visit Costco, Wall Mart or any of the bid stores there are people in their 70s and 80s packing groceries, they lived beyond their means and to hold on to their re mortgaged homes and other loans, they have to work. But when they die the bank will clear out and sell their homes. Burn your credit card only use a debit card.
I stayed in touch with him for over 15 years.
God bless you Chuck and tell God that I was asking for him.
No comments:
Post a Comment