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Video: Unknown millionaires: Why ordinary people hid their savings and how this is related to longevity
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The way Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates look goes against the way rich people are portrayed. Without knowing them by sight, those around them could hardly guess about their condition. But interestingly, history also knows a lot of stories when the most ordinary people - secretaries, teachers and sellers of the local vegetable shop - were modest and unremarkable all their lives, and they learned that they were millionaires only after their death.
SECRETARY
Sylvia Bloom left $ 8, 2 million for educational programs and student education fund. Sylvia Bloom was a modest widow who lived in a small one-room apartment in Brooklyn, moved around the city for meters, including to a law firm, where she worked as a simple secretary until her death at 97 years old. She died in 2016, and when it turned out that the quiet, inconspicuous old woman was in fact a millionaire, it came as a shock to everyone around her.
They were even more surprised that she gave up her entire fortune to charity. She gave six million to the educational program at the Henry Street school complex, and another two million left to various educational funds, including the one that helped her to get an education at one time.
Her gift to the Henry Street Foundation was the largest in its 126-year history. With this money, the organization was able to implement a program that allows students with disabilities to also get access to education. “This gift has become so valuable to us not only because of the kindness that lies behind it,” says the executive director of the organization. "But also because of what dedication and what humility lies behind the accumulation of this money."
But Sylvia Bloom's story is not unique. So, in 2015, a retired from Milwaukee left $ 13 million to a local Catholic school. And just a year ago, a janitor from a shopping center left after his death 5 million, which he bequeathed to transfer to the account of a local hospital.
All these people are united by the fact that they did not have children and did not have direct heirs. Their modest lifestyle allowed them to accumulate funds that they did not find use or did not want to find during their lifetime. Such people often think about what they can leave behind, and therefore want to find some good use for their money. And therefore, they often list their savings to help children they never had.
GROCER
Leonard Gerowski left $ 13 million to the education fund for the school he attended. When Leonard Gerowski was still a child, every morning at 6:30 am he took the bus to the Seminary of St. Francis, a Catholic school that was later renamed Thomas More School. After serving in the army, Leonard became a butcher and grocer. At the same time, he often visited his school, dined in the canteen with his students. One day he suddenly began to sing a school greeting right in the cafeteria, and the students picked up this singing, singing along with him. Leonard was regularly seen at school, everyone got used to him. When he was 90 years old, teachers organized the children to sing a happy birthday chorus.
Three months after this event, news came to the school - Leonard Girovsky died and bequeathed $ 13 million to the school's account. The director then said that he almost fell out of his chair from such news. What from the outside might look like the life of a lonely old man was in fact a life full of love and admiration. Leonard loved dancing and had a ballroom dance hall in the basement of his house. He bred pigeons and recorded birdsong in his garden - Leonard's house had a huge record library of trills and whistles of birds. “He told me that he enjoyed being around and caring for the creation of the Lord God,” explained Jeff Korpal, Leonard's best friend.
But Leonard's main passion was faith in God and the gratitude he felt. “He wanted to leave some kind of mark on subsequent generations. He felt indebted to God, to his Catholic education, and to his faith, which he wanted to share with others,”continues Jeff.
TEACHER
Margaret Southern left $ 8.4 million to educational and humanitarian funds. Margaret Southern was somewhat like Leonard. She also loved animals and also wanted to help children she did not know personally. When she drew up a will with her lawyer, she specially prescribed a separate clause so that after her death her dachshund, Molly, would be taken care of. In fact, Margaret outlived her dog by several years.
The woman died at the age of 94 in 2012 and left half of her fortune to the humanitarian fund of the city of Greenville, with which she never came into direct contact during her life. And she left the other half to another foundation in her hometown of Greenville, a foundation dedicated to providing education for children with special needs. She also left some more money for her friends and relatives.
Margaret received her fortune from her husband, who died in 1983. After that, she put the money on a deposit and regularly replenished her fortune. Margaret lived in a small house in a small town, drove a 1980 car and showed nothing that she was actually a millionaire.
Interestingly, all these people, who left their impressive savings to charity, lived long lives. Is it related? Scientists believe this is possible. In 2011, a study was conducted that showed that people who are prone to altruism have a much lower risk of dying in the next 4 years than those who are more prone to self-centeredness. People who are willing to devote their time, money or attention to the people or animals around them have more stable pressure, less stress and, yes, they end up living longer.
It is worth saying that age is not an obstacle for someone who wants to do good deeds. Recently became known the story of the 80-year-old siegewho drives a van every day to help the disabled in St. Petersburg.
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