Percy Ross

Percy Ross was an American businessman, columnist, and philanthropist best remembered for his syndicated column Thanks a Million. Born in Laurium, Michigan, in 1916, he grew up in a poor immigrant family and later built his fortune through businesses in auctions, fur, and plastics after moving to Minnesota.

His public reputation came less from business than from giving money away. Starting in the 1980s, Thanks a Million ran in hundreds of newspapers, and readers wrote to him asking for help with everything from urgent personal needs to unusual wishes. Over roughly 17 years, reports estimate that he gave away about $20 million to $30 million, and the column later expanded into radio.

Ross also wrote Ask for the Moon and Get It, a book that reflects his belief in initiative, persistence, and direct asking. He died in 2001, but he remains a memorable figure because his philanthropy was so personal, dramatic, and unmistakably his own.