Meet Danielle and Helga Feeney

Publish date: 2024-05-03

Chuck Feeney was married twice. His first wife was called Danielle. He then married Helga Feeney whom he stayed with until his death. Danielle is French Algerian. At the time they first met, she was a student at Sorbonne. Feeney and Danielle hit a snag in 1991. Helga, his second wife, was once his secretary and they wed in 1995.

Who is Chuck Feeney?

Charles Feeney was an American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune as a co-founder of the Hong Kong-based Duty-Free Shoppers Group.

Chuck Feeney biography 

He was the esteemed founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, a globally recognized private charitable foundation of significant magnitude. For many years, Feeney discreetly distributed his vast fortune, until an unfortunate business dispute led to the revelation of his identity in 1997.

Throughout his lifetime, Feeney generously bestowed over $8 billion in philanthropic endeavours. Born on 23 April 1931 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, during the challenging era of the Great Depression, Feeney hailed from a humble background with hardworking Irish-American parents of modest means.

His mother served as a dedicated hospital nurse, while his father pursued a career as an insurance underwriter. His ancestral roots can be traced back to County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland.

Feeney completed his education at Elizabeth’s St. Mary of the Assumption High School in 1949, an experience he credits for instilling his philanthropic values.

Notably, his remarkable contribution of $250,000 in 2016 stands as the largest single donation in the history of the school. During the Korean War, Feeney served as a radio operator in the U.S. Air Force and embarked on his professional journey in the 1950s, selling duty-free liquor to U.S. naval personnel at Mediterranean ports.

Chuck Feeney career

The concept of duty-free shopping, which involves offering high-end concessions to travelers without import taxes, was in its nascent stage when Feeney and his college classmate Robert Warren Miller embarked on selling duty-free liquor to American servicemen in Asia during the 1950s.

Their business expanded to include the sale of cars and tobacco, leading to the establishment of the Duty Free Shoppers Group (DFS Group) on November 7, 1960. Initially operating in Hong Kong, DFS later expanded its operations to Europe and other continents.

A significant breakthrough for DFS occurred in the early 1960s when it secured the exclusive concession for duty-free sales in Hawaii, enabling the company to target Japanese travelers.

Over time, DFS further expanded its reach by establishing off-airport duty-free stores and large downtown Galleria stores, ultimately becoming the largest travel retailer globally. By the mid-1990s, DFS was generating profits of up to $300 million annually, which were distributed among Feeney, Miller, and two additional partners.

These substantial returns were largely attributed to DFS, like many other retailers in Asia, implementing significantly higher markups on Western luxury items compared to those in Europe and the United States. While a retailer in New York might price a designer handbag at 2.2 or 2.3 times the wholesale price, the standard practice in Asia was to set the retail price at three times the wholesale price.

Who is Chuck Feeney wife?

Chuck Feeney was twice married. The name of his first spouse was Danielle. He afterwards wed Helga Feeney, with whom he remained until his passing. French Algerian is Danielle. She was a Sorbonne student when they first met. Feeney and Danielle encountered trouble in 1991. His second wife, Helga, was once his secretary; they were married in 1995.

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