History Main / WealthyPhilanthropist

* Commander Vimes in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels prefers not thinking too hard about the fact he's one of the richest people in the city. He has, however, used his wealth to fund both the City Watch Widows and Orphans Fund (which he was already paying out of his own pocket back when he was making nine dollars a month) and the Lady Sybil Free Hospital.

* A funny In-Universe example for ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' comes from the titular character's wrestling persona "Tiger Millionaire" who is supposedly crazy rich (all fake money used as stage props) and highly conceited. In the episode "Tiger Philanthropist, Amethyst quits the tag-team wrestling circuit because she's bored [[spoiler:and is no longer using it as a means to deal with her inadequacy]], leaving Steven alone in a 2-on-2 league. Upset, Steven changes his persona to "Tiger Philanthropist", and tries to make others happy as a way to cope being without a partner by both being nicer to the wrestlers and audience while throwing "jungle bucks" to the fans. Ultimately this fails, and he explains to Amethyst that he enjoyed having an activity with her which is why being Tiger Millionaire was fun, something she didn't consider when she quit. In Tiger Philanthropist's ultimate act of charity, he offers his championship belt to anyone who can grab it after he hangs it from the ceiling of the wrestling ring during one of the night's matches. Amethyst shows up mid-match in her wrestling persona and the two purposefully take a dive, allowing the belt to be taken, but doing so on their terms ''together''.

This character trope can also be to used to show that the donor is only doing it for power or fame, or to offset the evil they do to maintain their wealth or for tax reasons. It can result in ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney, where they threaten to stop donating if they do not get their way. This can also be used by villain characters to become a VillainWithGoodPublicity.

* ''Fanfic/CommonPeople'': Deconstructed and enforced. Bruce is perfectly aware that a lot of crime in Gotham is a natural extension of the growing poverty in the city, which is why he's continuing his mother's philanthropic work. However, losing his parents in Crime Alley doesn't change the fact that Bruce grew up in the one percent of the one percent of the socioeconomic strata of the ''world''. No matter how much money he generates, most of it is useless if he can't properly apply it to actually help out the poor in Gotham, which he can't do because he lacks the proper experience to empathize with those people. It isn't until Jason joins the family that the Wayne Foundation's philanthropic work begins in earnest.

* Commander Vimes in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels prefers not thinking too hard about the fact he's the one of the richest people in the city. He has, however, used his wealth to fund both the City Watch Widows and Orphans Fund (which he was already paying out of his own pocket back when he was making nine dollars a month) and the Lady Sybil Free Hospital.
* ''Literature/AroundTheWorldInEightyDays'': Mr Phileas Fogg is a very rich English gentleman of the IdleRich variety because he has no job and doesn't seem to do much except frequenting the Reform Club and reading papers. However, the narrator says that whenever he knew that money was needed for a noble, useful or benevolent purpose, he supplied it quietly and sometimes anonymously. He also gives money to a beggar-woman with a child who asks for alms when he and Passepartout leave London.

* Margery of the House Tyrell in ''Series/GameOfThrones'' knows that being generous to the poor might give her some political advantage over the Lannisters who apper to be equally (i.e. filthily) rich as the Tyrells but shown to be a fairly decadent lot. Margery is seen interacting with children at the orphanage in King's Landing or she declares that whatever food won't be eaten at her royal wedding shall be given to the poor.

* Exploited on an episode of the legal series ''Series/FamilyLaw''. Rex's client is a GoldDigger divorcing her tech millionaire husband and seeking to take over his estate because he's giving all his money away to needy people around the world and she thinks this is wrong if not insane. Not surprisingly the court rules against her. Rex subsequently learns that the husband started charities to tie up his assets and gain sympathy in the divorce case, and that once all that was done he planned to simply go on leading the high life.

* ''WebVideo/TheVictorianWay'': Mrs Warwick, the housekeeper at Audley End House, says that Lady Braybrooke has done a lot for the necessitous children of Walden and has done many other charitable activities. In episode "How to Make Soup for the Poor", Lady Braybrooke has asked Mrs Crocombe to make simple soup for distributing to the poor of the parish because it's winter and very cold.

* Warren Buffett, one of the world's riches individuals with a net worth of roughly $70 billion, has pledged to give 99% of his wealth to charity.

* Alfred Nobel's invention of dynamite was itself a philanthropic effort that saved many lives by putting the explosive nitroglycerin (used for mining) into a form that could be handled safely. On the other hand, he also profited from selling explosive compounds that he invented such as ballistite to countries that adopted them for military purposes. When he read a premature obituary for himself in 1888 that painted him as a "merchant of death" , he became concerned about what kind of legacy he was leaving the world. Upon his death he bequeathed about 94% of his massive wealth--equivalent at the time to £1,687,837--to create the Nobel Prize to recognize outstanding contributions for humanity in chemistry, literature, peace, physics, and medicine.

* ''WebVideo/TheVictorianWay'': Mrs Warwick, the housekeeper at Audley End House, says that Lady Braybrooke has done a lot for the necessitous children of Walden and has done many other charitable activities. In episode "How to Make Soup for the Poor", Lady Braybrooke has asked Mrs Crocombe to make a simple soup for distributing to the poor of the parish because it's winter and very cold.

* ''{{Series/CSI NY}}'': Coroner Sid Hammerbeck turned into a philanthropist after getting rich off his pillow invention. He'd found out he was suffering from lymphoma and possibly going to die, and decided that since it couldn't buy a cure and he couldn't take it with him, he'd help the families of some of the victims that came through the morgue. Jo found out it was him, but no one else did.

* ''WebVideo/TheVictorianWay'': Mrs Warwick, the housekeeper at Audley End House, says that Lady Braybrooke has done a lot for the necessitous children of Walden and has done many other charitable activities.

Compare to UnclePennybags who is incredibly wealthy and uses his money to help people as well, but he usually focuses on having fun. He is also more likely to spend the money together with those he has enriched. Compare to RichKidTurnedSocialActivist who's from a very rich background but tries to help the poor and downtrodden personally directly.

* Subverted on an episode of the legal series ''Series/FamilyLaw''. Rex's client is a GoldDigger divorcing her tech millionaire husband and seeking to take over his estate because he's giving all his money away to needy people around the world and she thinks this is wrong if not insane. Not surprisingly the court rules against her. Rex subsequently learns that the husband started charities to tie up his assets and gain sympathy in the divorce case, and that once all that was done he planned to simply go on leading the high life.

* In the Franchise/{{Batman}} franchise, Bruce Wayne spends large amounts of money on public projects. [[StatusQuoIsGod Not that it ever reduces crime in Gotham]], but it's the thought that counts. His alter ego, on the other hand, reduces crime by punching it in the face. Not all Bruce's philanthropic projects are meant to stop crime, though. He feeds the hungry, takes care of orphans, contributes to hospitals and the like. So Gotham benefits a great deal from his largesse.

This character trope can also be to used to show that the donor is only doing it for power or fame. It can result in ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney, where they threaten to stop donating if they do not get their way. This can also be used by villain characters to become a VillainWithGoodPublicity

Compare to UnclePennybags who is incredibly wealthy and uses his money to help people as well, but he usually focuses on having fun. He is also more likely to spend the money together with those he has enriched.

* ''ComicBook/IronMan'': Back when Iron Man had a SecretIdentity, his alter-ego Tony Stark personally financed the Avengers, and thus was seen as a philanthopist.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

This character trope can also be to show that the donor is only doing it for power or fame. It can result in ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney, where they threaten to stop donating if they do not get their way. This can also be used by villain characters to become a VillainWithGoodPublicity

* ''Julie's Greenroom'', a Creator/{{Netflix}} children's series about Creator/JulieAndrews hosting a group of Muppet kids called Greenies who are learning about the theatre features Edna Brightful, a wealthy benefactor played by Andrews's good friend Creator/CarolBurnett. At the end of the show's first season, she watches the original musical, ''Mash-Up the Musical'', created by the Greenies and is so impressed that she says her check will be in the mail the next day.

* In the Franchise/{{Batman}} franchise, Bruce Wayne spends large amounts of money on public projects. Not that it ever reduces crime in Gotham, but it's the thought that counts. His alter ego, on the other hand, reduces crime by punching it in the face. Not all Bruce's philanthropic projects are meant to stop crime, though. He feeds the hungry, takes care of orphans, contributes to hospitals and the like. So Gotham benefits a great deal from his largesse.

A Wealthy Philanthropist is likely to be NonIdleRich and related to RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething. They are equally likely to be a SelfMadeMan or comes from OldMoney. When one of these is a member of TheTeam, they're TheTeamBenefactor.