George Lucas and Philanthropy

We all know that Disney purchased Star Wars for over 4 Billion $. Here's the coolest part of that story...

Philanthropy :

1. goodwill to fellow members of the human race; especially : active effort to promote human welfare
2. a) : an act or gift done or made for humanitarian purposes b) : an organization distributing or supported by funds set aside for humanitarian purposes

Darth Vader Creation by Ticiano

 George Lucas Will Use Disney $4 Billion to Fund Education

By the end of the year, the $4.05 billion sale of Lucasfilm to Disney should be finalized. And since George Lucas owns 100 percent of his company -- which has little to no debt -- all that money goes to him.

PHOTOS: When You Wish Upon a Death Star: The Surprising Symmetry of 'Star Wars' and Disney After that, Lucas plans to quickly put the bulk of the money into a foundation that will primarily focus on educational issues, a spokesperson for Lucasfilm tells THR. 

“George Lucas has expressed his intention, in the event the deal closes, to donate the majority of the proceeds to his philanthropic endeavors.”

It's not yet clear which foundation will get the proceeds. Lucas is currently the chairman of Edutopia, which is part of the George Lucas Educational Foundation. He could put money into that or create a new foundation that would be funded from the sale.

RELATED: George Lucas' Next Act: Bill Gates-style Philanthropy

The Foundation was the vehicle Lucas used to make a $175 million donation to his alma mater USC in 2006. He has also given to many other causes over the years including the Film Foundation, Stand Up to Cancer and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“For 41 years, the majority of my time and money has been put into the company,” Lucas said in a statement Wednesday. “As I start a new chapter in my life, it is gratifying that I have the opportunity to devote more time and resources to philanthropy.”

RELATED: George Lucas' 2010 Philanthropy Pledge

The spokesperson noted that this “announcement continues a commitment that Lucas made in 2010 to The Giving Pledge, where he stated,  'I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education. It is the key to the survival of the human race. We have to plan for our collective future -- and the first step begins with social, emotional and intellectual tools we provide to our children. As humans, our greatest tool for survival is our ability to think and to adapt -- as educators, storytellers and communicators, our responsibility is to continue to do so.’” 

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