Paul Newman has been acting since 1954 and has appeared in more than fifty films. He won an Oscar for best actor in 1986 for The Color of Money. In 1993, Newman received a special Oscar for humanitarian service. These two awards reflect his dual success as actor and philanthropist.
In 1982, Newman and A. E. Hotchner founded Newman’s Own, a not-for-profit foods company. Newman agreed to put his face on the label because he planned to donate all profits to charity. The salad dressing was a big success, and in the first year Newman contributed about US$1,000,000 to charitable organizations.
Newman’s Own now makes many other food products. Every year, Newman donates 100 percent of the profits from Newman’s Own products to hundreds of educational and charitable organizations in many countries. Since 1982, Newman has made contributions of more than US$150 million to charities.
One of Newman’s special projects is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, a network of camps for children with life-threatening illnesses. At the camps, children can temporarily forget their illnesses. Newman and other generous donors have sponsored over 70,000 children to attend the camps free of charge.
Newman says those who are lucky should lend their hands to those who are not. He does not see philanthropy as something exceptional. To him, generosity is a human trait and an investment in the community.
