Low Taek Jho (centre) pedals a trishaw carrying US rapper Swizz Beatz while Busta Rhymes rides in another trishaw driven by 1 Malaysia Welfare club chairman Geh Choh Hun (far right) in George Town on April 19, 2013. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 — Billionaire Low Taek Jho is trying to shed his old party boy image and make a name for himself as a philanthropist, a shift he believed was only made possible by his late grandfather’s advice years ago.
According to Low, his grandfather, Low Meng Tak, had reprimanded him shortly after his lavish partying lifestyle — which included public outings with American “celebutante” Paris Hilton — made international headlines back in 2010.
“I was sat down by my grandfather, and he gave me a talking-to: ‘Being showy and flamboyant is not something you want to do,’” the businessman commonly known as Jho Low told Forbes business magazine in a recent interview.
Low’s grandfather died of leukaemia in 2013.
In 2012, Low set up a family foundation, Jynwel Charitable Foundation, which has since handed out nearly US$30 million (RM107.22 million) in donations to various charitable causes.
Low has also donated US$5 million personally, telling Forbes his foundation is committed to giving away more than US$100 million over the next 15 years.
“Philanthropy is cool. It’s trendy. Is it good for business? Is it good for PR.? Yes!” he was quoted saying.
A breakdown of the foundation’s donations include a US$50 million, 15-year pledge to the cancer centre for an oncology expert-advisor programme connecting cancer patients and their doctors to experts globally, US$5 million over five years to the National Geographic Pristine Seas programme, which aims to preserve pristine parts of the oceans and restore other parts.
Besides that, the foundation has also pledged to donate US$20 million over 10 years to New York-based Panthera, which works to protect tigers and other wildcats, and US$25 million for a period of over 15 years to the IRIN humanitarian news agency, which the United Nations (UN) stopped funding last year.
Locally, Low is more known for his association to 1 Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) through his involvement in its predecessor, Terengganu Investment Authority, as well as the Abu Dhabi funders that back the state investor.
