An unlikely billionaire bequeathed a staggering $13 million to charity upon his death, but failed to identify the recipient of the large sum of cash, prompting lawyers to try to make the donation. Ta.
The lawyer's methods led some groups to believe it was fraud, resulting in them losing part of the unusual bequest.
Terry Kahn, an Indianapolis resident who worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 30 years, passed away in 2021, leaving no immediate family to leave behind anything.
Mr Khan said in his will that the money should be donated to “charitable causes”, but he could not name any specific organizations to support.
Khan's attorney, Dwayne Isaacs, said: told CBS News Mr Khan was “incredibly frugal” and did not own a mobile phone as he thought it was too expensive.
After his client died, Isaacs was tasked with calling dozens of local nonprofits and essentially providing them with millions of dollars.
“There were probably three or four different entities that lost money because they didn't respond to my call,” Isaacs told the magazine.
The nonprofit executive who answered his call recalled hearing Isaacs' shocking question.
“The first thing he said was, 'What would you do if you had a million dollars?'” said Emmy Hildebrand, CEO of the Indiana Veterans Families Association.
He wasn't the only one surprised by the call.
Margaret Sheehan, executive director of Teacher's Treasures, a free store for educators in need of classroom supplies, was awarded $1.5 million, nearly double the group's annual budget.
“It was an amazing act of kindness and I said, 'I have to sit down,'” Sheehan said.
“We floated above our bodies and thought, 'Is this real?'” Julie Henson, another recipient of the award, vice president of development at Coburn Place, which helps survivors of domestic violence. he told the same media.
Isaacs said Khan lived in a modest home, drove an old Honda and asked people not to spend money on death announcements when he passed by.
“He's smiling somewhere, that's for sure,” Isaacs told the magazine. “He's going to be excited about this.”
