author
Percy Ross
Best remembered as "America's Rich Uncle," this self-made millionaire turned practical generosity into a public mission, giving away millions to people who wrote to him for help. His life story moves from poverty and business success to a highly unusual form of hands-on philanthropy.
1 Audiobook
A Mock Idyl
by Percy Ross
About the author
Born in Laurium, Michigan, in 1916, Percy Ross grew up in a poor immigrant family and later built a fortune in business after moving to Minnesota. He became known as an entrepreneur who made his biggest financial success with Poly-Tech, a company that produced polyethylene plastic bags.
Ross became nationally famous not just for his wealth, but for how he gave it away. Through his syndicated newspaper column Thanks a Million, he invited readers to write in with their needs and then personally awarded money to selected people, earning the nickname "America's Rich Uncle."
He died in 2001, but he is still remembered for a style of philanthropy that felt direct, personal, and a little theatrical. Instead of giving quietly through institutions alone, he made generosity part of his public identity and reached people who might otherwise have gone unheard.