[size=75:1ar1h95l]AOL news 14 February 2010

Millionaire Is Giving Away His Entire Fortune

If money can't buy you happiness, what do you do? If you're Austrian millionaire Karl Rabeder, you give it all away, right down to the last penny, or, in his case, euro.

"
My idea is to have nothing left. Absolutely nothing,"
Rabeder, 47, told The Daily Telegraph of London. "
Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come."


On the block, or already sold, is his luxury villa with lake in the Alps, his 42-acre estate in France, his six gliders, and the interior furnishings and accessories business that got him rich in the first place.

Millionaire Karl Rabede says getting rid of his fortune makes him feel "
free."

Actually, everyone will get the chance to live the Alpine luxury lifestyle, because Rabeder has decided to raffle off his home at $134 a ticket.

When every penny of his estimated $4.7 million fortune is gone, he says, he intends to move into a small wooden hut in the mountains or a studio in Innsbruck.

"
For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness,"
Rabeder said. "
I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years."


After a while, however, he felt he was working "
as a slave for things I did not wish for or need,"
adding, "
I have the feeling that there are a lot of people out there doing the same thing."


What brought him to his current conclusion? A three-week vacation with his wife in Hawaii, plus gliding trips to South America and Africa left him with feelings of guilt, he said, and the sense that there was a connection between his wealth and the poverty of the people he saw.

"
It was the biggest shock of in my life, when I realized how horrible, soulless and without feeling the five-star lifestyle is,"
he was quoted as telling the Telegraph.

Since selling off some of his possessions, with lots more looking for buyers, Rabeder says he has felt "
free, the opposite of heavy,"
which was the feeling all his wealth gave him.

All his money will go to the non-profit Mymicrocharity, which Rabeder says he has set up to offer small loans to needy people in Central and South America, and to encourage development and self-employment in the region.

Maybe a good lesson here

I do beleive there is a lot of truth in this money only makes to world go round it will never make happiness

What a wonderful revelation that millionaire has had. I fully agree with him. I was at my happiest when going through a very difficult time in my life when I literally had no money. I met another struggling soul and we survived together. I still cannot understand how we did it except that we were living abroad in another part of Europe and the locals helped us just as they do here in our Bulgarian village. We survived and I had an inheritance but I will never forget those days and find it harder now having to worry about my savings. I love my village life and when I see the big weekend cars coming from Sofia and I see the miserable faces of those within I just know that they are not as happy as I am and most of our villagers.

oldun wrote:

I love my village life and when I see the big weekend cars coming from Sofia and I see the miserable faces of those within I just know that they are not as happy as I am and most of our villagers.

Well, people in our material world do not understand the true meaning of happiness. Most believe that happiness means luxury cars, newest cell phones and jewelery around the neck, but it actually just describes how narrow-minded people they are and that is why they can't be happy and can't be helped either. It is sad but true.

The other sad thing is that if people lose their money they often lose their self-esteem and sense of security and confidence. They then become bitter towards other folk. There is no help for them because money was their God. Fortunately and very unusually, this millionaire saw the light and will be happier than he has ever been by helping those less fortunate. Truly the bible message which has also been lost in these modern times.

I best get in there quick!

You may mock.

Dear oh Dear tell that to the old ladies going through bins over here . Or the old guys begging for money .

Can we please keep this topic as a discussion and not turn it into a personal attack after all its just a light hearted discussion and nothing more

ATB

Was the tax man holding his family jewels in his hand while he was giving his statement!!!

Must get the email address and send one of my letters

Oddy

While your at it you could send one for me to Berni

sarah