Philanthropy

Until the global financial crisis overturned the prevailing wisdom of institutional investors, the UK family-controlled brewer and pub owner Fuller, Smith & Turner was considered almost an anachronism in a highly-leveraged world. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the firm had such low borrowing levels that it was shunned by most analysts and big investors in favour of much more highly-geared rivals who had not, in the phrase of the period, "tied up capital in the business".

Then go to the US online gambling site bookmaker.com, which is inviting bets on which wealthy individuals will join Bill Gates (pictured), Warren Buffett and the other billionaires in pledging half their fortune to charitable causes.

Hutchison Whampoa, the Hong Kong-based company controlled by Li Ka-shing, announced better than expected results for the first half of 2010 on the back of growth in its ports, property and retail businesses and smaller than predicted losses in its mobile phone operations.
 
The group's profits were up 12% to HK$6.5 billion compared with the same period last year, while losses in the 3G mobile phone business showed an 82% fall, shrinking to HK$998 million, compared with HK$5.5 billion for first half of 2009.

James Stowers Jr built a multibillion dollar business, survived cancer and established a world-class medical research facility. He explains to Marc Smith why he decided to give back something more valuable than money.