If technology and steel have anything in common, it can be found in what Joe Issa describes as “two different individuals sharing the same sentiment about what people should do with their wealth”, as he leaps across two distinct fields of endeavour, two separate hemispheres and two centuries, to find inspiration.
Issa, himself a philantropist, says he finds inspiration from a quote by Indian technology tycoon Azim Premji, which is reminecent of the famous 19th century excerpt by Scottish-American steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie.
Chairman of Wipro Limited- Azim Pemji
“Whenever I read a quote like Mr. Premji’s it reminds me of how privilege I am, and therefore, my duty to give back to the less privileged inorder to improve their world,” said Issa, founder of the Cool Group of over 50 companies that are being leveraged internationally, with the objective of making the group a global corporation.
Chairman of Cool Group of Companies- Joey Issa
Premji, who is 4th in the world after giving away US$8 billion so far to charities, once said: “I strongly believe that those of us, who are priveledged to have wealth, should contribute significantly, to try and create a better world for the millions who are far less priviledged.”
“There is also another compeling reason for giving back to the underprivileged in communities,” Issa said, arguing that he could not have made it without them, as he referenced a quote by Carnegie that said: “No man can become rich without himself enriching others…”
Issa, who at one time was giving away over J$500,000 a month in scholarships to under-privileged Jamaican children, according to the Business Observer, adds, “I especially like Mr. Premji’s (quote) and his belief that riches are meant to be shared among the less fortunate.”
According to Forbes, Tech magnate Azim Premji’s US$7.7-billion-revenue company Wipro Limited (ADR), India’s third-largest outsourcer, has been on a buying spree to boost growth, with his most recent acquisition being Appirio, a cloud consulting firm based in Indianapolis.
At age 71, Premji is rated 72nd among the world’s billionaires, with a net worth of US$16.5 billion as at July 11 this year. He is also No. 4 among India’s richest, and is ranked 13th on India’s richest tech list. He is also India’s 61st most powerful person.
And like Issa, he has studied at a prestigious US university – Issa at College of the Holy Cross majoring in Accounting and Economics, and Premji at Stamford majoring in Arts and Science – as well as being married, with two children.
Joey Issa Values Giving Back to his Community! 