Jim Greenbaum: Giving it All Away
Species Unite
elizabeth novogratz
5.0 • 911 Ratings
🗓️ 25 February 2021
⏱️ 23 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"I sat down, did some number questing and said, okay, 85% is going to be given away during my lifetime and the rest of thereafter. I sleep much better at nights. I do live comfortably, but there's a limit. I'd rather that money go to save lives." - Jim Greenbaum
Jim Greenbaum is the Founder and Managing Director of The Greenbaum Foundation.
After college, Jim entered the workforce with one goal in mind - to make as much money as quickly as possible in order to use those funds to help make the world a better place.
In 1985, Jim founded and became CEO of Access Long Distance. Less than a decade later he made the decision that he would leave the corporate world at the age of 40. Keeping true to the plan, he sold the company in 1999.
Jim has committed to contributing in excess of 85% of his assets to charitable projects ending human and non-human suffering during his lifetime, and the remainder of his estate soon thereafter. The foundation's assets will also be spent down during his lifetime.
The Greenbaum Foundation focuses funding on effective and efficient projects working to bring about the end of human and non-human suffering in areas of the highest need and where they the most impact.
During the early years the foundation focused solely on human rights, but have since shifted their efforts toward non-humans, and toward moving the world to whole foods plant-based diets and ending factory farming. Their portfolio also includes projects aimed at increasing the awareness, protection and improvement of the lives of all animals.
Jim is also an Executive Producer of several documentaries, including "The Game Changers," "What The Health," "Cowspiracy," and "Not My Life."
"Being a bystander to suffering is not an option." – Jim Greenbaum
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I sat down and did some number clutching and said okay 85% is going to be given away during my lifetime and the rest thereafter. |
| 0:08.0 | I sleep much better at nights. I do live comfortably but there's a limit. I'd rather that money go to save lives. |
| 0:13.7 | Hi I'm Elizabeth Novigrats. This is Species Unite. We have a favor to ask if you like today's episode and you have a spare minute. |
| 0:31.0 | Could you please rate and review Species Unite on Apple |
| 0:34.7 | Podcast or wherever you listen to podcasts? It really helps people to find the show. |
| 0:44.5 | This conversation is with Jim Greenbaum. |
| 0:48.1 | Jim has publicly committed to give at least 85% of his assets away during his lifetime |
| 0:55.2 | to organizations that bring the end of suffering |
| 0:58.3 | for humans and non-humans. Jim, thank you so much for being here today. |
| 1:17.0 | Beth, it's my pleasure to join you. |
| 1:18.8 | There's a lot of things I want to cover, |
| 1:20.2 | but I want to go back. |
| 1:21.3 | I keep hearing how these seeds to really end suffering and fight injustice |
| 1:26.2 | were planted when you're a little kid. So can you talk about that? Essentially I was |
| 1:32.1 | born this way. I mean from the youngest age that I can |
| 1:34.6 | remember I was always driven to you know fight injustice and suffering it just came |
| 1:41.3 | out that way and for a great part of my life. |
| 1:43.6 | I've always tried to look at my life, |
| 1:45.0 | see what happened and see is there something that happened |
| 1:47.8 | that could have led me on this journey |
| 1:49.2 | and had various theories at different times that might fit that. |
| 1:52.6 | But in the end, somehow I was just born this way. |
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