Altruism files: Entrepreneur doctor honours promise despite dotcom disaster

As the Stanford press release explains,

Neurosurgeon and entrepreneur James Doty, MD, was feeling generous when he agreed in 2000 to give a multimillion-dollar gift of stock to Stanford University School of Medicine, but he didn’t realize at the time that he would end up giving away his entire personal fortune.

But when he lost it all in the dotcom meltdown, he insisted on honouring his promise of, like, real money, even though it hurt.
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that he endowed both a neurosurgery chair in spinal-cord repair and a project sponsored by the Dalai Lama on the neurological basis behind compassion and altruism. The Chronicle also reports him saying "I'm happy to give it. I'm thankful. It's actually been a wonderful experience and has made me a better person."

Who would doubt it? Trying to help others is never a "paper" loss or profit.