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Benzinga
Benzinga
Business
Eric McConnell

This Tech Wiz Sold His Company For $1.6 Billion – Then Gave It All Away Because He Thinks Owning Super Yachts Is 'Obnoxious'

Fortune Jeff Bezos
Foundation,Donations,Charity,Support,Concept

Imagine founding a tech company, selling it for $1.6 billion, and then giving all but $100 million of it to your favorite charities. It sounds far-fetched, but that's exactly what AppNexus founder Brian O’Kelly has been doing since he sold his company in 2018. 

O'Kelly told Fortune that his philanthropy is rooted in his sense of personal responsibility and commitment to living a normal life. Tech billionaires are famous for extravagant displays of wealth, such as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' multimillion-dollar wedding in Venice. So, why not O'Kelly? He told Fortune he believes that owning super yachts and mega mansions is "obnoxious." "I don't get why you need $200 billion, $500 billion, or even $1 billion," he said.

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