For years, Australian researchers looked for the legendary American donor, but they couldn’t find him. Here’s why.
There was a time when Australians knew that the US philanthropist Charles “Chuck” Feeney had a soft spot for this country, but he was so elusive they couldn’t find him.
Feeney, who co-founded the Duty-Free Shoppers Group, would later change this policy. He disclosed he was head of The Atlantic Philanthropies because he realised that if people knew he was giving,But by then, AP had already become synonymous with anonymous. It still didn’t accept unsolicited requests and, as a natural recluse with an aversion to the media, Feeney remained elusive.
But 20 years ago, Graham was asking everyone he met if they knew how to get to Feeney. “Finally, in 2005, I had a patient who happened to know the consul general of Ireland and knew that he and Feeney played golf together. I had my connection. Because Kennedy once led an executive search firm, he knew what Feeney wanted. After extensive checks he went to interview Graham. Then he called Feeney. “He’s the real deal,” he reported. They made plans to meet in San Francisco.“I went to see Fred Hilmer, who had just become vice chancellor of UNSW, and David Gonski, chancellor, to ask if it was OK to act as the liaison between the VCCRI and Chuck.
“‘No, no, come over here,’ he said, putting his arm around me. ‘You’ve got your $20 million for your building.’ He was full of happiness, beaming. It’s a moment I can’t forget.” The next board meeting made Graham more nervous. “Neville got the board to sign off on the building contract before Chuck’s money was in the bank. If the money hadn’t come through, we would have been penniless. But it did. It was a godsend.”, Feeney has accepted a request to bestow an award in his name.
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