Paul Newman the Philanthropist

I know Paul Newman mostly through his charity work. I’ve seen him in some movies, and I know he liked race car driving, which is a bit loud for me. His charity work was exceptional.

He lived quietly in Westport, Connecticut, far from Hollywood. I think this is a big factor. He was a great actor, but he didn’t get caught up in all the Hollywood junk. He was down to earth.

Newman’s Own was one of the first mass-produced organic food companies and is still very successful. All the profits are given away without galas, mailings, or other expensive outreach. Again, Paul living outside Hollywood and being a down-to-earth guy were part of what made this simple business so powerful. All of their marketing is essentially word of mouth. Great stuff gets out.

I believe starting a foundation and giving back to society is an extension of good business. Why give all the money away to taxes when you can give it to people who need help? Paul Newman’s foundations gave away all the profits from his food line. He had summer camps for kids, and his charity helped other charities, not just the A-list charities. He helped charities that were not well known. Charities that make a real difference. A lot of people give money to the well-known charities, which tend to have high administration costs, and I’m not a big fan of that myself. Paul was very selective and put a lot of thought into who got money and who he supported. Unfortunately, many in Hollywood support charities in order to look good and promote themselves. Not Paul and his family.

So I will remember Paul Newman as one of the greatest philanthropists of all time and a role model for how I want to live my life.

Bye Paul, you made a difference.