WebProNews

Tag: philanthropist

  • Actress and Philanthropist Taylor Re׳ Lynn: Patron of Venice Biennale

    Actress Taylor Re׳ Lynn attends La Biennale di Venezia festivities perched rooftop enjoying canapés and the mesmerizing view overlooking the Canale Grande, Basilica di Santa Maria, and San Giorgio Maggiore Church.

    An avid supporter of the arts, Lynn says supporting the arts has always been an integral part of who I am as an artist.

    “I support the vision of the La Biennale di Venezia as the organization that fosters talent in the areas of art, music, dance, theatre, and cinema with notable events such as the Venice Film Festival.”

    While enjoying festivities, actress and songstress Taylor Re׳ Lynn serenaded her fans with a passionate rendition of Pie Jesu in the heart of San Marco.

    The 71st Venice International Film Festival, organized by La Biennale di Venezia, began on Venice Lido on 27th August, and will run through 6th September 2014. It’s directed by Alberto Barbera.

    The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote the various aspects of international cinema in all its forms: as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. The Festival also organizes retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.

  • Doris Buffett Puts A Personal Spin On Philanthropy

    Doris Buffett isn’t quite as recognizable as her little brother, but he wouldn’t be quite as famous if it wasn’t for her.

    Doris Buffett, 86, is Warren Buffett’s big sister and head of the Sunshine Lady Foundation. The charitable organization works with Warren Buffett to distribute his money to those who need it after announcing that he would be giving his money to charity in 2006. A big part of his charitable mission was to make sure a human read every request for monetary assistance, and Doris makes sure that happens.

    The Sunshine Lady Foundation was founded in 1996 after Doris came into some money of her own. She used the foundation to give $150 million of her own money to scholarships, inmate assistance programs and other causes. The foundation, which employs seven women, switched to reading requests for Warren’s money in 2006. The foundation was originally given $5 million to give out to those who needed it, but Warren said he would give more if they needed it. Beyond the initial figure, however, we don’t know how much Warren has given to charity through his sister’s charity.

    Warren Buffett is one of the most famous philanthropists of our time, but what made his sister want to start giving? According to Doris herself, she discovered her desire to give during the Great Depression when even the wealthy were struggling to get by. Her experience during the Great Depression seems to have influenced her style of giving as well. While she may have started out with large donations, she now gives out money on a case-by-case basis for those with small needs. For example, she has used her brother’s money to pay for tombstones or a car. Her willingness to provide small gifts to individuals sets her apart from other philanthropists that throw millions of dollars at big issues that impact thousands of people.

    Two years ago, Google hosted Doris at its Authors@Google talks where she discussed her philanthropist philosophy. It’s definitely worth checking out:

    In a world where philanthropy often feels like part of a PR campaign, the Buffetts stand out as a real force for change. A lot of that success can be attributed to Doris with which a lot of this wouldn’t be possible.

    [h/t: Huffington Post]
    Image via Talks at Google/YouTube

  • Michael Milken And Sumner Redstone To Donate $80 Million To George Washington University

    George Washington University will be receiving an $80 million donation from philanthropists Michael Milken of the Milken Institute, and Sumner Redstone of CBS Corporation and Viacom. The amount is the largest the university has ever received.

    Half of the $80 million, which is from Milken Institute, will be given in a span of five years in order to provide support for the school of public health. A sum of $30 million from Redstone will be covering the costs for establishing a center for wellness and prevention. The other $10 million from the Milken Family Foundation will be given throughout this year and next year to support the university’s public health dean.

    Business tycoons Milken, 67, and Redstone, 90, have been friends for 30 years. According to Redstone, “We’ve been friends, not just business friends.” Both have built their own businesses and both are billionaires. Another experience that these men share is that they were both diagnosed with prostate cancer.

    The two acknowledge changes in their diet and exercise as the reason why they are still alive. Milken said that they are focused on providing people in lower socioeconomic groups a lifestyle that will give them a better quality of life.This is the reason why they donated the $80 million to GWU.

    The university is keen on targeting different conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. These chronic conditions are said to be responsible for over 75% of health care costs each year in the United States.

    Milken and Redstone’s monetary contribution is said to be unique as the majority of the donations the university receives geared towards cure and treatment. This time, however, the donation will be towards changing behavior.

    Lynn Goldman, a pediatrician and epidemiologist from GWU, said that the philanthropists’ contributions to the university will be an enormous boost for the institution.

    Michael Milken talks about prostate cancer research

    For more info on  GW’s Public Health Program,  click here

    Image via Youtube

  • Chen Guangbiao Now Trying to Buy Wall Street Journal

    Chen Guangbiao, a Chinese businessman and philanthropist completely unknown in the United States before this month, first made news in the United States through his proposal to purchase the New York Times.

    On January 5, Chen published an opinion piece in the state-owned, Chinese-based paper, the Global Times. In that letter, Chen stated his serious intentions about acquiring the New York Times, stating, “I may be a maverick, but it doesn’t mean I like playing tricks. I want to purchase the New York Times. Please do not treat it as a joke.”

    However, his plan to purchase the New York Times was treated as a joke due to 2 reasons. First, Chen only offered $1 billion for the paper, which has a current market value of $2.3 billion. Oh, and there is also the fact that the owners of the New York Times, the Sulzberger family, has stated that the paper isn’t even for sale: “The Times is not for sale, and the trustees of the Ochs-Sulzberger Trust and the rest of the family are united in our commitment to work together with the company’s board, senior management and employees to lead the New York Times forward into our global and digital future.”

    The second reason Chen’s stunt was treated as a joke was due to the method in which Chen went about promoting himself in New York City. If Chen was serious about purchasing one of the United States’s largest newspaper publications, perhaps he should not have handed out the following business card:

    (image)

    Due to the media attention derived from his outlandish offer and the constant ridiculing of his business card, Chen’s offer was deemed illegitimate.

    Chen, though, has not let his first failure deter his actions. After being denied by the New York Times, Chen stated, “I am going to talk to the Wall Street Journal and find out if it’s for sale.”

    While Chen’s motivation for wanting to own the New York Times was to repair its reputation in China, stating, “I find Americans know little about a civilised and open China that has been enjoying unprecedented development. The tradition and style of the New York Times make it very difficult to have objective coverage of China. If we could purchase it, its tone might turn around,” his motivation to own the Wall Street Journal is completely lacking. Unless you count Chen’s statement that he is “very good at working with Jews,” as qualification for owning another of the United States’s largest newspaper publications.

    Besides seeking to own a media outlet here in the United States, Chen is also attempting to expand his own, private business to the United States by acquiring the rights to demolish an old bridge in San Francisco.

    Whatever business venture he winds up succeeding in, one thing is for certain: Chen’s effervescent attempts to gain media attention and notoriety have been successful mainly due to a business card, meaning one should create a Kickstarter to start a business card business ASAP. Or perhaps Chen should start one himself.

    Images via YouTube and Twitter

  • Theo James To Star In New Independent Film, Franny

    Theo James, the young British actor, has been cast in Franny. Franny is an upcoming film that has already cast Richard Gere and Dakota Fanning. The plot features a philanthropist who meddles in the lives of newly-married couples in an effort to relive his past. Richard Gere will play the main character, while Fanning and James are set to play one of the couples that he gets involved with, Olivia and James.

    James was most recently involved with the film Divergent, a based on a young adult novel, and which also stars Shailene Woodley and is set to be released on March 21, 2014. He made his debut in the Woody Allen’s film, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, but is most notable for his role in Downton Abbey as Kemal Pamuk, according to E Online. He also got the lead on CBS’ new drama Golden Boy. Before his role on Downton Abbey, he also appeared in the BBC series, Bedlam.

    James joins Fanning, who gained much of her recognition as a young child star in films such as War of The Worlds and I Am Sam. The pair seem a bit oddly matched, especially with their age difference, in order to play a married couple. James is 28, while Fanning is only 19, which can be a very big difference at the point in their lives. In addition, as Fanning is known for her child roles, it is hard to think of her being grown up and in a marriage with someone older than her. Fanning also had a role in one of the Twilight films.

    Fanning’s most recent film was The Last of Robin Hood, about the later years of Errol Flynn, also starring Susan Sarandon and Kevin Kline. The new film Franny, is brought to audiences from a new filmmaker, making his directorial debut. Deadline mentions that Andrew Renzi is directing the film from a script that he wrote, after developing it at this year’s Sundance Screenwriters Lab. The pair of young actors are also excited about joining the veteran actor Richard Gere, who is just coming off of his Golden Globe nomination for his film Arbitrage.

    Image via Youtube