SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- John Templeton, the legendary mutual-fund manager who was a pioneer of international investing and later committed much of his fortune to scientific and religious causes, died Tuesday. He was 95. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/sto...x?guid={68839E95-D675-43E2-9138-0438430551D8}
he spent millions trying to scientifically prove a god exists. he failed but i guess by now he knows for sure.
"following in the footsteps of Sir John Templeton," who gave up his U.S. citizenship in 1962 and moved to Nassau. Thus when Templeton sold his mutual fund management company in October 1992, he may have saved more than $100 million in capital gains taxes. Templeton, an extremely generous and public-spirited man, gives most of his money away. Apparently he wants to decide who gets the benefits ...
One thing that's interesting to me is that some of the ultrawealthy are so salt-of-the-earth and even anti-luxury: Walton, Templeton, Buffett and so on. And I think there's a lesson to be learned there: they loved managing their assets and not spending their a$$e$...
It appears that Mr. Templeton was "a nice guy", but the fact that he dodged paying U.S. taxes on his lucrative sale of his company, by renouncing his U.S. citizenship, is unforgivable. Our country gave him the opportunity to succeed in his business, provided the infrastructure necessary to build a stable business, plus most of his customers were U.S. citizens, and the U.S. military provided his personal security in a rough world, etc. etc. The least he could have done was to pay his fair share of taxes, under the rules. I and most other decent Americans do, even though we may not like it. He had absolutely no excuse. It's a pattern that other extremely wealthy "made in the U.S.A." business people have followed, unfortunately. They all have no shame, no gratitude and no sense of responsibility.