In 1982, Paul Newman started selling salad dressing; more than four decades later, the brand had given over $600 million of its profits to charity

What began with a salad dressing became a food business with an unusual purpose: giving its profits away. In 1982, actor Paul Newman and his friend A.E. Hotchner launched Newman’s Own salad dressing. The dressing generated more than $300,000 in first-year profits, and Newman decided the money should be given away. More than four decades later, Newman’s Own Foundation says more than $600 million has been given to good causes since 1982.

How Paul Newman’s Salad Dressing Business Began