Lone Rangers Of Charity Are Losing Their Masks

• Published in: The New York times
• Main Author: GERALDINE FABRIKANT and SHELBY WHITE
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, N.Y New York Times Company 02.02.1997
• Edition: Late Edition (East Coast)
• Subjects: Charities; Gifts; Philanthropy; Privacy; Wealth
• ISSN: 0362-4331

But even that silent minority is being dragged into the open. Charles F. Feeney, who made his fortune in airport duty-free shops, is but the most visible current example. Over the years Mr. Feeney has given away $610 million and has put $3.5 billion into a charitable foundation, and he did it all anonymously, revealing it recently only under pressure. Consider, for example, how the legendary competition between the late Greek shipping magnates Aristotle Onassis and Stavros Niarchos apparently extended into their philanthropic activities. Although Mr. Niarchos was not a noted philanthropist during his lifetime, his will established an enormous foundation, estimated to be at least $1 billion, that seemed designed to exceed the one set up by Mr. Onassis. One contemporary of the two billionaires, recalling that their rivalry extended to ships, women and real estate, said: ''Their relationship was based on, 'I can do anything better than you.' Whatever the one was doing, the other was trying to outdo.'' In a telephone interview, Mr. Sheridan, 67, said he knew that Mr. Bloomberg(Michael R. Bloomberg) and William Richardson, then president of Johns(Johns Hopkins) Hopkins, were looking for a substantial gift when they asked to visit him and his wife, Debbie, at their home in Hanover, Pa. Over a lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and soup, ''they asked us what I would consider, and I said I would consider $10 million,'' Mr. Sheridan recalled, adding, ''Then they asked if we would consider $20 million.''