George Lucas introduced the world to Star Wars back in 1977, and he profited handsomely from it. Now, after selling the mega-franchise to Disney for $4.05 billion, Lucas is preparing to give back in a big way.
In a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter, a Lucasfilm spokesperson said that once the sale is final, the Hollywood billionaire will donate most of the haul to charity: ”George Lucas has expressed his intention, in the event the deal closes, to donate the majority of the proceeds to his philanthropic endeavors.”
The move isn’t a complete surprise (although the sale may have been). Lucas signed on to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett‘s Giving Pledge back in July of 2010, promising to give at least half of his wealth away by the time of his death.
In Pictures: Billionaires Who’ve Signed The Giving Pledge
“I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education,” Lucas wrote in his pledge letter. “It is the key to the survival of the human race. We have to plan for our collective future — and the first step begins with the social, emotional, and intellectual tools we provide to our children. As humans, our greatest tool for survival is our ability to think and to adapt — as educators, storytellers, and communicators our responsibility is to continue to do so.”
Lucas founded the George Lucas Educational Foundation and the websiteEdutopia to reform and improve K-12 education. The foundation emphasizes hands-on, project-based learning over plodding devotion to standardized tests and traditional textbooks. It highlights innovative teaching efforts that are already working in classrooms. You can read more about Lucas’ efforts in a Q&A with Forbes’ Luisa Kroll.
In a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter, a Lucasfilm spokesperson said that once the sale is final, the Hollywood billionaire will donate most of the haul to charity: ”George Lucas has expressed his intention, in the event the deal closes, to donate the majority of the proceeds to his philanthropic endeavors.”
The move isn’t a complete surprise (although the sale may have been). Lucas signed on to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett‘s Giving Pledge back in July of 2010, promising to give at least half of his wealth away by the time of his death.
In Pictures: Billionaires Who’ve Signed The Giving Pledge
“I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education,” Lucas wrote in his pledge letter. “It is the key to the survival of the human race. We have to plan for our collective future — and the first step begins with the social, emotional, and intellectual tools we provide to our children. As humans, our greatest tool for survival is our ability to think and to adapt — as educators, storytellers, and communicators our responsibility is to continue to do so.”
Lucas founded the George Lucas Educational Foundation and the websiteEdutopia to reform and improve K-12 education. The foundation emphasizes hands-on, project-based learning over plodding devotion to standardized tests and traditional textbooks. It highlights innovative teaching efforts that are already working in classrooms. You can read more about Lucas’ efforts in a Q&A with Forbes’ Luisa Kroll.
what this gotta do with Jordan 
