Following in my dad’s footsteps, I started a business that made me a millionaire by age 29.
I was ruthless at making money and proud to be able to buy anything imaginable. I didn’t realize the downside, until my wife and kids left me for taking them for granted. I am now even prouder to have left my first business and donated all of our money social causes to re-claim our life together.
After three years in Africa building low-income housing for people in need we founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976. We’ve brought in more money through Habitat for Humanity than I ever did in business. It has been deeply meaningful to dedicate this entirely to the poor this time. It has been increasingly important to my wife and me to live simply. It’s felt right to take a modest salary to further benefit the poor. We left Habitat for Humanity in 2005 due to internal struggles. We started another nonprofit called The Fuller Center for Housing, and we have continued raising funds to house the poor. It’s our life’s mission, and nothing will change that.
Millard died on February 3rd, 2009. You can read more about his life, legacy and the continuing work of the Fuller Center for Housing in the New York Times. | South | 60 plus Years Old | $1-$10M | at least 90% | Business |
| Social Justice | Faith | Passion | Posted on October 19th by Linda Fuller
Millard Fuller's autobiography was released August 2010 - Millard completed this story of his first 30 years in 1968. Ten other books were published but he never got around to this first one. When Millard passed away early 2009 at age 74, I knew that this amazing manually-typed manuscript, filed away for years, needed to be published. Millard's rise above incredible heartache at age 3 from his Mother's untimely death, his father teaching him how to make money and his extraordinary drive to make his life a success in every way is all there and much more -- 4 sections of photos, too, some of which have never been seen before. The book concludes when we decided to give away our fortune to help save our marriage and provide a way for the "haves" to join us in making a difference for the "have-nots" in the world. Read "Beyond the American Dream" by Millard Fuller. All proceeds will go to The Fuller Center for Housing. Book may be purchased at fullercenter.org or Amazon.com |