The Simpsons’ co-creator Sam Simon was recently diagnosed with terminal colon cancer and given three to six months to live — but the unmarried 58-year-old isn’t blowing his money before that point. Instead, he plans to donate his entire fortune to charity.
“The truth is, I have more money than I’m interested in spending. Everyone in my family is taken care of. And I enjoy this,” Simon recently told The Hollywood Reporter.
Simon confesses he doesn’t know his exact networth, but one source says it’s upwards of $100 million. That’s largely due to the tens of millions that pour in each year from The Simpsons, a show that he hasn’t had much to do with since 1993.
“The Simpsons money got bigger and bigger. When I left The Simpsons, no one thought that this thing was going to still be around. It’s the cumulative effect. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, 25 years later, and it’s still coming in.'”
Even in life, Simon is a committed philanthropist who has given so generously to PETA that the organization renamed the headquarters “The Sam Simon Center.” He also founded The Sam Simon Foundation, which serves to “save the lives of dogs” and “enrich the lives of people.”
Still, he remains blasé about his accomplishments.
“The sort of lifetime achievement stuff that I’m getting now is kind of like Tom Sawyer’s funeral because they all know I’m sick. I am getting buildings named after me and awards and stuff,” Simon said, adding that he’s gives simply because it’s enjoyable to help others.
Although select charities will surely benefit from Simon’s posthumous donation, the rest of us will have reason to mourn the loss of a great man. Sam revealed that he only had months to live this May during an engaging conversation on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast.
