History Main / WealthyPhilanthropist

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': 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. His money helps to feed the hungry, take care of orphans, he contributes to hospitals and the like. So Gotham benefits a great deal from his largesse.
* In ''ComicBook/Robin1993'', Bruce's adoptive son Tim takes after him by spearheading a new program to help support community centers, gyms and provide better education in poor areas, starting in Gotham City and then spreading globally where he receives local permission.
* It runs in the family, as ComicBook/NightwingInfiniteFrontier has Dick Grayson, after inheriting a large windfall from Alfred, creating the Alfred Pennyworth Foundation to help Bludhaven with several social programs.

On the other hand, this character is not always good. A fairly common spin on the trope is for the Philanthropist to be a VillainWithGoodPublicity and CorruptCorporateExecutive who's not doing it because GoodFeelsGood, nor because they're trying to solve social ills. They're just doing it to launder their reputation and save money on taxes. They start a massive foundation to address a problem to show that they care without having to actually care. Boom, you spend a fraction of your wealth, and now the poors [[EatTheRich aren't coming for your money]]. It's also fairly common for the charity itself to actually be an [[PeaceAndLoveIncorporated evil organization]] the Philanthropist is using to carry out their EvilPlan while hiding from public scrutiny -- because who would be so heartless as to go up against a ''charity group''?

On the other hand, this character is not always good. A fairly common spin on the trope is for the Philanthropist to be a VillainWithGoodPublicity and CorruptCorporateExecutive who's not doing it because GoodFeelsGood, nor because they're trying to solve social ills. They're just doing it to launder their reputation and save money on taxes. They start a massive foundation to address a problem to show that they care without having to actually care. This way the villain character can become a VillainWithGoodPublicity. Boom, you spend a fraction of your wealth, and now the poors [[EatTheRich aren't coming for your money]]. It's also fairly common for the charity itself to actually be an [[PeaceAndLoveIncorporated evil organization]] the Philanthropist is using to carry out their EvilPlan while hiding from public scrutiny -- because who would be so heartless as to go up against a ''charity group''?

The Philanthropist might instead be a CorruptCorporateExecutive. They're not doing it because good feels good, nor because they're trying to solve social ills. They're just doing it to launder their reputation and save money on taxes. They start a massive foundation to address a problem to show that they care without having to actually care. This way the villain character can become a VillainWithGoodPublicity. Boom, you spend a fraction of your wealth, and now the poors [[EatTheRich aren't coming for your money]].

* ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'': Akira gets told by his EccentricMentor Kibayashi all about how the food that those living [[WrongSideOfTheTracks in the slums]] eat is MysteryMeat filled with harmful {{Nanomachines}} that slowly build up in your blood stream until they kill you, and potentially radioactive plant products, as well as the fact that the food has warning labels but most slum dwellers NeverLearnedToRead. While he’s only middle class at best, the next thing Akira does when visiting Sheryl’s slum gang he’s supporting, is to donate millions of aurum to make sure the kids can eat decent food and be taught to read and write.

* In ''Jerry and Marge Go Large'', newly-retired Jerry finds a flaw in the lottery's probability distribution that allows him to make a substantial profit every time... assuming he buys enough tickets. His wife Marge decides they should go as big as they can, just to do something crazy together, and the money starts rolling in as they buy thousands of tickets every play cycle. Jerry sets up a business to make even more money out of it and sells shares to other townspeople so they can collectively revitalize their hometown of Evart. By the time the loophole is closed and they can't play the lottery anymore, Jerry's friend is running an ice cream shop for a lease of just $1.19 a month thanks to social funds, Jerry's struggling accountant has bought a Corvette, and an out-of-code stage has been fixed up so Evart can start hosting a yearly jazz festival again.

* ''Film/AbsolutePower'': Water Sullivan has given over a billion dollars to charity, and when he bought and closed down the coal mine his father died from working in, he gave every miner $50,000 (in 1940's money) to retire on.

* Tahani in ''Series/TheGoodPlace'' comes from a wealthy and very well-connected family, and had the stereotypically British StiffUpperLip attitude drilled into her, but is kind and well-meaning and charitable. As it turns out, her efforts for charity were motivated by a craving for attention, rather than any desire to help others.

* ''Series/{{Andor}}'': In the years leading up to the Rebellion, Mon Mothma presented herself as a rich senator dedicated to well-intentioned but ultimately inconsequential charities [[ExploitedTrope to hide her rebellion-building]].

This character trope can also be 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.

* 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. His money helps to feed the hungry, take care of orphans, he contributes to hospitals and the like. So Gotham benefits a great deal from his largesse.
* In ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'', Bruce's adoptive son Tim takes after him by spearheading a new program to help support community centers, gyms and provide better education in poor areas, starting in Gotham City and then spreading globally where he receives local permission.

* ''Film/{{Hysteria}}'': Charlotte comes from the upper-middle class and her family is comfortably rich. She uses her dowry to help the poor and sets up a school for poor children. She also tries to get charity money from other wealthy people.

* In the 1926 silent comedy ''Film/ForHeavensSake'', Creator/HaroldLloyd plays an EccentricMillionaire who becomes one by accident. After inadvertently destroying a priest's charity pushcart, Harold offer to pay for it. In a misunderstanding, the priest thinks he's offering to sponsor a mission and asks for a thousand dollars. Harold doesn't find out what he did until he reads about his supposed generosity in the newspaper.

* Creator/JKRowling has donated a buttload to charities. [[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/books/news/article.cfm?c_id=134&objectid=10791515 Case in point.]] She's also an outspoken democratic socialist, having once lived in poverty.

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

Being a philanthropist who does much good serves as a characterization device to show that the character has a heart, and to further develop the character as a decent human being and worthy member of the society. It might be apparent right from the start of the story, or it could be revealed as their HiddenHeartOfGold.

This character trope can also be 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.

** Mickey's father donated most of his fortune to the poors to help the recovery from TheGreatDepression.

** Surprisingly enough, ''Scrooge'' funds all sorts of charities. He does so in secret, partly to keep his image as a miserly tighwad and partly because he considers it basic decency and thus not really worthy of being glorified.

* ''Literature/JaneEyre'': Zigzagged with Lowood school for orphaned girls and its sponsors. Part of the building was built by Naomi Blocklehurst, late mother of its current "benefactor", the Rev. Mr. Brocklehurst, a pastor who thinks himself pious and generous, but who has a sick, twisted mind. The pupils all suffer from hunger and cold and lack of other supplies, and later lots of them die of typhus because they're weakened from malnutrition and dampness of the building. After that, the situation was improved by some wealthy people and the institution became useful and the orphans were indeed helped and educated there.

* 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 thirty dollars a month) and the Lady Sybil Free Hospital. [[NonIdleRich He also refuses to give up his job]] as [[DaChief Commander of the City Watch]], and uses ''that'' position to do right by the working class population of Ankh-Morpork by making very sure they don't have to deal with corrupt or heavy-handed policing and that nobody gets to say "ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney" and get away with it.