Simpsons Creator Sam Simon To Give Away Fortune To Charity Before He Dies Of Cancer

Simpson Creator To Give Away Fortune
|

The terminally-ill co-creator of The Simpsons has promised to give away his fortune to charity before he dies of colon cancer.

Sam Simon, who has only months to live, will donate to organisations tackling homelessness and cruelty to animals, particularly dogs.

He already has a foundation set-up in his name that trains abandoned dogs to become helpers for the deaf and a vegan food bank in LA.

Open Image Modal

Sam Simon

Simon told the Holywood Reporter: "One thing is, I get pleasure from it. I love it. I don't feel like it is an obligation.

"One of the things about animal rights, which is not the only thing that I care about in this world, is that your money can bring success."

Some have questioned if animal charities are as deserving as those that concentrate on humans but Simon insists it is a better use of his money.

Story continues after the slideshow...

He said: "I see results. There is stuff happening, really good stuff, every week. I'm not sure you get that with a lot of disease charities.

"If you were donating to environmental causes for the past 20 years, do you think your money is doing anything?

"Because I don't, and I used to support some conservationist stuff -- Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund. They're treading water.

"Climate change is a big part of their problem. The environment has been destroyed, basically."

Simon made his fortune by creating The Simpsons alongside Matt Groening and James L. Brooks.

He left the show in 1993 saying he didn't enjoy it any more. He retained a stake in the hugely successful show and still earns substantial royalties.

Simon has no children although he has been married and divorced twice - first to actress Jennifer Tilly and then to 1997 Playboy Playmate Jami Ferrell.

His support for PETA prompted the animal right organisation to name a building after him.

He said: "The sort of lifetime achievement stuff that I'm getting now is kind of like Tom Sawyer's funeral because they all know I'm sick.

"I am getting buildings named after me and awards and stuff. The truth is, I have more money than I'm interested in spending." Everyone in my family is taken care of. And I enjoy this.