Child Of The Pledge
Forbes India|June 9, 2017

Ted Stanley made a fortune on knickknacks, then promised it to medical research on mental illness. His son is bird-dogging that commitment. And, yes, it’s personal.

Ashlea Ebeling
Child Of The Pledge

At the age of 19, Jonathan Stanley dropped out of college and began behaving erratically. He ended up in a psychiatric unit, brought there by New York City cops called to deal with a naked young man in a deli convinced secret agents were after him. Diagnosed as bipolar with psychotic features, Jon went through what he calls a “dramatic four years” before, with the help of lithium and Tegretol, he got fully back on track. He graduated from Williams College and Quinnipiac School of Law and became an expert and lobbyist on laws affecting commitment and treatment of the mentally ill. Name a state and Jon can rattle off what’s right or wrong with its laws.

Yet, at 51, he has put his legal work on the back burner, going into “semi-retirement”, as he puts it in typically self-deprecating fashion. That’s because most of his working hours are now devoted to completing his late father’s $1.4 billion charitable commitment to medical research mental illness, as well as to dealing with more mundane details of his dad’s estate. Jon figures he’ll be ready for his third act by the time he’s 60.

Sure, lots of ageing boomers and Gen-Xers take time from busy lives to wrap up their parents’ affairs. But Jon Stanley has embraced a rare filial duty as what might be called a child of the pledge. Since Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett proposed in 2010 that their fellow billionaires promise to give at least half their wealth to charity, either during their lifetime or at death, 158 Giving Pledges have been signed, including by Jon’s parents, Ted and Vada Stanley. In only eight cases have both husband and wife (or a sole signer) passed away. There are likely some disappointed would-be heirs out there, but many pledgers, like the Gates, try to bring their kids in early on their philanthropic plans.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 9, 2017 من Forbes India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة June 9, 2017 من Forbes India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من FORBES INDIA مشاهدة الكل
Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
Forbes India

Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued

The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients

time-read
8 mins  |
May 21, 2021
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
Forbes India

Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years

As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years

time-read
10+ mins  |
June 4, 2021
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Forbes India

THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN

Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse

time-read
8 mins  |
May 21, 2021
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Forbes India

LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE

Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment

time-read
7 mins  |
May 21, 2021
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Forbes India

PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST

Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground

time-read
9 mins  |
May 21, 2021
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
Forbes India

INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR

While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term

time-read
8 mins  |
May 21, 2021
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
Forbes India

DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION

As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India

time-read
8 mins  |
May 21, 2021
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Forbes India

Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?

Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent

time-read
10 mins  |
June 4, 2021
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Forbes India

EV Dream Still Miles Away

Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure

time-read
6 mins  |
June 4, 2021
Living Waters
Forbes India

Living Waters

A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet

time-read
4 mins  |
June 4, 2021