Q&A: FedEx founder, veteran Fred Smith offers unusual gift

By THALIA BEATY
Associated Press

The founder of FedEx, Fred Smith, believes that if you’ve done well, you should give back to the public interest. The 78-year-old Marine Corps veteran has stepped down as the CEO of FedEx but remains its executive chairman. Over the years, the billionaire has done little to publicize his and his family’s philanthropic donations but agreed to speak about a somewhat unusual donation to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. Smith is gifting the proceeds from the film “Devotion,” which he financed, that tells the story of two groundbreaking Naval aviators. The proceeds will fund scholarships for the children of Navy service members studying STEM.