I was home with my son one evening watching Tony Robbins YouTube videos when I came across this random video player, which I have no idea why I even hit play to this moment. But 7 minutes into it, I got my answer.
Have you ever dreamed of leaving a legacy for future generations? I’m sure you have, but this remarkable story about Ted Johnson, UPS ex-executive is as unearthly as anything you’ll ever read.
I feel honored to share this story with you because I heard this story at the perfect time, at the perfect place in my life and with the perfect person by your side – my 4 year-old son Zachary. I’m not much of a hockey fan, but I got the hat-trick the night I came across this story about Ted Johnson, a super-hero like 90 year-old, ex-UPS executive, who amassed a mountain of cold-hard cash by turning a measly $14,000 salary/year into $70 million at retirement!
After doing my due diligence, I uncovered an article posted in the New York Times, back on October 15, 1991 that interviewed Theodore R. Johnson at his apartment in DelRay Beach, FL. Johnson was quite the blue-collar man, who only strived to live a humble existence, while avoiding all of the Red Carpet fame and fortune that would typically go along with his “Mother Theresa” type antics.
Johnson wound up with a $70 million dollar investment pool of money from doing the right thing – paying himself first throughout his career, each and every week.
This man is the “holy grail” spokesperson and representative for every wishful saver who gave it all away. He compounded his savings by purchasing as many stock option shares as he could in The United Parcel Service, Inc (U.P.S) before he retired as vice president of industrial relations in 1952.
So what did he do with his $70 million you want to know? Johnson donated $36 million to various charities: He stared a scholarship fund for the children of U.P.S employees ($7.2 million) and is responsible for the largest donation to the American Indian College Fund in the history of the organization ($3.6 million). Ironically, Ted Johnson didn’t know “an Indian” personally, but thought they got many “raw deals” in life.
Also receiving $3.6 million each are Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf in Washington, D.C.; the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, in St. Augustine, and a scholarship fund for poor children. Long story short, do you feel confident about leaving your legacy now? Pretty amazing story if I could say so myself!
