The Art of Giving! - Real Mum story on MoM

11 Comments

About 15 years ago a friend of mine owned a failing business in Swanston Street, Melbourne. It was putting him in debt so he advertised it for sale. A well dressed gentleman walked in off the street, inquired about it and watched the business in action all afternoon. He left only to return later with a suitcase saying he wanted to purchase the business. He opened the case asking if $50,000 cash was enough to leave as a deposit. Of course my friend said “Sure is!” The gentleman then left and returned with a stereo system he had purchased at Myer saying the place needed some music. He then left saying he would come back in a few days to finalise the sale. He returned in a couple of days to see how things were going and we got to know him a little better. It turned out that he was a philanthropist who had helped many people. After this we never saw him again, he never returned to finalise the sale of the business and he never even asked for a receipt for the $50,000. He also left no address or contact details. A few months later we were talking to the owner of the bookshop situated a few doors down who had a similar story to tell. The same man had been in their shop and purchased $2,500 worth of books, left no details and never returned! To this day my friend still doesn’t know who he was or why he did it but it certainly helped my friend out of the possibility of having to go bankrupt or worst!

Posted by rachkap, 21st December 2013

11 Comments

- - mom112217 said
  - 15 Jul 2016
    2:17 pm
What an amazing and giving man to help others and not yourself!

- - mom113055 said
  - 03 May 2015
    1:07 pm
great to read

- - mom57522 said
  - 20 Sep 2014
    9:29 pm
What a beautiful story! Is true? Do people like that really exist?

- - mom56842 said
  - 31 Aug 2014
    12:37 pm
I’m sure I’ve read this somewhere before.

- - 3timesamum said
  - 26 Jun 2014
    6:02 pm
That is an amazing story. Such generosity.

- - yyon4699 said
  - 31 Mar 2014
    9:35 pm
The thing is you get a lot of attention on the extreme sides whether is rich or poor, good or bad. Then you have another group of ppl who are on the average life style complaining about not have enough of everything or ever gets popular or noticed…. but hey it’s how the society work this way so I still feel better of being on average.

- - yyon4699 said
  - 25 Mar 2014
    9:38 pm
This is crazy!!! Love knowing there are great ppl around!

- - bettythrelfo said
  - 26 Dec 2013
    11:03 pm
what a wonderful person this person must be. In todays world it is very hard to keep small businesses going, I know I used to be in one, and ended up having to close it down . we werent marking prices that high , but most in the town lost their jobs, so that it was a battle for them to eat, never mind anything else. Wonderful to hear that there have been some who have managed through the generosity of others to keep afloat. Today it must be a lot worse in , like with the holden company, and I guess there have been many others that I have not even heard of.. Glad that you r friend can keep going, and also the book people.. towns where the whole factory closes off, would be a dreadful worry to keep body and soul together as they say..

- - bhbop said
  - 23 Dec 2013
    10:40 pm
Nice to know there are people like this around.

- - sanjipanj said
  - 21 Dec 2013
    11:27 pm
Wow that’s a story. The kindness of strangers indeed. I wouldn’t mind that kind of kindness, your friend must feel so very special & lucky. Who knows this man may reappear in your friends life

- - penelopee said
  - 21 Dec 2013
    9:15 am
That’s amazing