“Urbi et Orbi” Message Highly Anticipated – Catholic Minister

From the Central Loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on Easter Sunday comes the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” (the city and the world) message by the head of the Roman Catholic Church, an address which, according to Eucharistic Minister Joe Issa, is highly anticipated.

“Pope Francis has been quite vocal on world issues; more so than any other Pontiff in recent times, so it is difficult to tell precisely what he is going to talk about in his Easter Sunday message to the city [of Rome]and the world.

Joseph “Joey” Issa

“But I think the theme of his address may reflect the occasion – the resurrection of Jesus – so he might talk about the significance of the death and resurrection of Christ to today’s daily living.

“In his message, last Christmas – the birth of Jesus – the central theme was children when he called for world peace and a world in which children can hope to have justice, security and joy. He specifically urged Christians to see Christ in children, especially those for whom there seems no hope,” Issa said, in an interview.

Issa, whose family has had an audience with Pope John Paul 11 at which he sang happy birthday to his twin sisters Zein and Munna, and once received a Papal Blessing from Pope Francis for his birthday, added: “The message this Easter is a much-anticipated one due to the many issues facing the world today, including geopolitics, gender inequality and gun violence, and his tendency to give fresh perspectives on old biblical teachings. I think Catholics around the world will be bracing for his next revelations.”

Speaking on Palm Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, a day after the massive anti-gun demonstrations across the United States, the Pope reportedly urged young people to “keep shouting and not allow the older generations to silence your voices or anaesthetise your idealism.” He allegedly did not mention the protest.

However, it was reported that Gabriella Zuniga, 16, and her sister Valentia, 15, both students from Douglas High School in Florida, where 17 people were killed in February – the event which sparked the gun protest – attended the Palm Sunday service with their parents. They were reportedly pictured holding placards, with one saying “Protect Our Children, Not Our Guns”.

Pope Francis – who has often condemned weapons manufacturing and mass shootings – recently stunned Christians when he reportedly went against the thinking of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI by declaring that the theories of evolution and the Big Bang are real and God is not “a magician with a magic wand”.

Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pope reportedly explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator, arguing instead, that they “require it”.

“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. However, that is not so,” The Independent Online quoted him as saying.

The traditional ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message is delivered twice a year on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday, when the curtain comes down on what should be a hectic week for the Pope – two services on Holy Thursday, including one in which he will wash the feet of 12 inmates in a Rome jail; a procession (Way of the Cross) at Rome’s Colosseum on Good Friday; and an Easter vigil service on Saturday night, according to Reuters.

Cool Charities Unlocking Doors Through Education

They say that education is a way out of poverty; Joe Issa says it is the only way out. “It enables entry into the labour market or business at a higher level and offers more pay and greater freedom to choose, the better the quality.”

Joseph “Joey” Issa

Moreover, he, more than most should know the value of a good education having attended the best schools and universities; that is why Issa has focused on education in giving back to society.

Issa’s approach is two-pronged: His Cool Charity provides scholarships for bright children to attend a top university while enabling the disadvantaged group to catch on by improving their learning environment with books, collateral material, cupboards and air condition units.

The two-prong approach to giving back to education has been hailed a strategic one with elements of sustainability, by addressing the disadvantages early and giving affected children a fighting chance to become future scholarship candidates.

It was Nelson Mandela who once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” and he used it effectively to change many things throughout the globe, some while in jail and many on the outside, as President of South Africa.

Another famous figure, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. put it this way: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” The civil rights leader delivered the famous speech “I have a dream” at a rally in Washington D.C.

However, it was George Washington Carver who, like Issa, spoke of the beauty of education in giving people more choices when he said, “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.”

 

Joe Issa – Au Revoir Sam Panopoulos! A debt of gratitude is in order for Hawaiian Pizza.

Joe Issa – the turnaround man of Jamaica’s tourism industry – who presented Italian pizza at his hospitality interests to enhance the dining experience of his visitors, has hailed the creator of Hawaiian pizza who passed away recently, at 82 years of age.

Joseph “Joey” Issa

Sam Panopoulos

“It is always a sad moment whenever people of immense imagination and innovation pass on suddenly – like restaurateur Sam Panopoulos who invented the delicious, yet conflict-ridden Hawaiian pizza.

“It used to be thought that a pizza was sufficiently delectable with bacon, mushroom and pepperoni fixings until Sam Panopoulos added pineapple and ham to it.

“From that point forward Hawaiian pizza has changed the way people see canned pineapple,” Issa opined, expressing that “pineapple is presently utilized as a part of numerous other international cooking styles.”

Issa is joined by his previous house visitor, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who is additionally an enthusiast of his nation’s famous Hawaiian pizza.

As indicated by the Guardian – one of several English media houses to declare Panopoulos’ sudden passing, Trudeau is said to have turned out on #teampineapple on Twitter prior this year.

However, in addition to being a delight for many, the pizza, which got its name

“Hawaiian” after the branded tin from which pineapple was first used, is also said to be confusing and appalling for some.

A few Germans are said to have made a case for the creation, saying it depends on their pineapple-cheddar ham sandwich – Toast Hawaii – which was well known in the 1950s, about 10 years before the rise of Hawaiian pizza.

recently, President of Iceland Guoni Johannesson made an online hubbub when he declared to a gathering of school kids that he was against the utilisation of pineapple on pizza, proposing it ought to be prohibited.

Among the individuals who reprimanded him, was Trudeau, who twitted: “I have a pineapple. I have a pizza. Moreover, I stand behind this delicious Southwestern Ontario creation.”

Panopoulos, who came to Canada in 1954 at 20 years old, found the one of a kind flavour given to the pizza by including pineapple when in1962, he was inspired to try it at one of the several successful restaurants which he and his two brothers operated.

He told the BBC in February this year:  “We just put it on, just for the fun of it, see how it was going to taste. We were young in the business, and we were doing many experiments.”

Joseph Issa Urges Greater Sensitisation To Entrepreneurship To Help Graduates

As the country gears for higher economic growth and employment, celebrated valedictorian Joe Issa, who made his first investment in 1995 at the age of 30 with just US$3,000 and now heads a group of over 50 companies, has said that higher sensitisation of students to entrepreneurship could help them better monetise their education.

Roderick Gordon 

“As it is now, the country needs more entrepreneurs and the younger, the better, but I don’t see it coming without sensitising graduates to entrepreneurship, and the earlier they begin to entertain the thought of becoming an employer instead of an employee, the better they will be able to assess the technical and financial viability of their chosen business.

 

“The importance of being able to do so is that a bank proposal must be convincing and command an immediate positive response. It cannot be based on sentiments but stable observable favourable trends.

“Once pitched the project must leave no room for questions and no questions means a probable immediate yes, an outcome that is more likely the earlier students are sensitised to entrepreneurship.

“The importance of getting immediate yes is because the longer a bank takes to approve a loan the more reasons they will find not to give it,” said Issa, who has served on the board of directors of First Global bank, among other establishments.

Joseph “Joey” Issa

Issa’s statements come amid concerns expressed at a recent Gleaner Editors’ Forum that “one of the things that are killing Jamaica is the inability of individuals who study, train and can’t get a job, and the complete disconnect on how to monetise their training”, according to the newspaper.

It cited Attorney-at-law Roderick Gordon, who chairs one of the companies that have the backing of First AngelsJa, making the statement in support of Chairman of First Angels Ja, Joseph M. Matalon, who had earlier said there was no shortage of investors in Jamaica for the right deals, but argued there be an “immaturity in the environmental ecosystem”.

“We do not get enough qualified deals. We do not get enough qualified people coming forward who have the attitude, experience, educational background, or the expertise to drive the growth of a new business,” Matalon told the Gleaner Editors’ Forum.

Gordon, who is said to get excited when the group offers support and the investment comes to fruition, reportedly said he likes “seeing the innovation come through, seeing people who are a lot more exposed.

“I have seen entrepreneurs who pitch more than once and the second pitch is vastly improved to the first. So they are learning the discipline. They are learning how to focus. They are learning what sounds good from what can make a profit. That makes me excited.”

Jamaica Could Benefit From Having Daylight Saving Time – Joe Issa

As the US state of Florida moves to within one step of making Daylight Saving Time (DST) year round, thus living up to its nickname as “The Sunshine State”, here at home the question being asked is could Jamaica benefit by coming on board with its closest major trading air and seaports.

In an interview with one of Jamaica’s brightest economics and accounting major, Joe Issa, who has studied on both sides of the Atlantic, he explained as follows:

“Jamaica does not participate in daylight saving time. We only observe the time change in countries on it and make the necessary adjustments to our business and personal schedules; we have to make the adjustments twice a year – when the clock is pushed forward an hour in the spring and pushed back an hour in the fall.

“If we opt to join countries around the world on daylight saving time we will enjoy the same benefits as they do – an hour more of daylight, which stretches the business and entertainment day and reduces household energy use; and fewer road accidents as people tend to drive less at nights. However, we will also have the displeasure of an hour less in bed this Sunday morning.

“As to whether we go one step further like Florida and don’t turn back the clock in the fall, we will have to weigh in on this. What I think is that by not turning back we will strengthen the gains from Florida as it will become year-round rather than half-yearly.

“If we turn back the clock in the fall we will lose an hour of sunlight for business and entertainment while increasing household electricity use and opportunities for more road accidents. We will also have to surrender the opportunity of trading with Florida for an hour longer – what we gain in half the year we lose it in the other half.

“I think the readjustments that will be needed to take account of the reduced business and entertainment day in other far away countries when we don’t turn back our clock in the fall, pales in significance to maintaining an hour more of trading opportunities with Jamaica’s main gateway to the US, which is our largest trading partner and the nearest by far.”

Meanwhile in Britain, where Daylight Savings Time was officially introduced following The Summer Time (BST) Act of 1916, it is said that despite bringing not only lighter evenings, but a general sense of well-being and fewer accidents on the roads – because people tend to drive less at nights – researchers discovered that BST is having an unexpectedly negative and costly impact for the National Health Service (NHS).

Recently, psychologists at Lancaster and York Universities reportedly revealed that when the clocks go forward more people miss their hospital appointments.

“In fact, patients are five percent more likely to fail to turn up than on a usual week. Although the figure may seem small, there are around 150,000 missed NHS appointments each week so even a small increase could see an extra 1,000 missed appointments,” The Independent Online reported.

But unlike all other countries on the DST, including the rest of the Eastern United States, which will set their clocks back in the fall, Florida wouldn’t this year, if the “Sunshine Protection Act” is passed by Congress exempting it from the twice-yearly time change, thus leaving it with more sunshine in the evening during the winter. Northwest Florida is currently in the Central time zone, it is said.

DST this year takes effect at 1 am on Sunday, March 25, when the clock is pushed forward one hour, and for those worrying about forgetting – set up reminders, it has been advised.

It said to put up post-it notes in the kitchen, use a red pen to circle the day on the calendar and consider setting the alarm on your phone. If you have a smartphone, check you have set its clock to update automatically.

“On the preceding Saturday evening it is also wise to mentally prepare for the crushing disappointment of a shortened lie-in on Sunday morning,” the report said. “However, if you are planning to travel or Skype someone abroad keeps this in mind that we will no longer be in Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT) but British Summer Time (BST) which is sometimes labelled as GMT+1.”

DST was introduced in the United Kingdom because it was believed that during summer it would save on energy costs and enable people to have more recreation time outdoors. However, in the fall that one hour gain is lost when the clock goes back an hour and return to GMT on Sunday, 28 October at 2 am.

World Has Love Affair with Jamaica, Country Responding with Much Improvements – Joe Issa

Few know more than Joe Issa the immense attraction Jamaica is to visitors from around the world, so it was no surprise to him when the country went on a roll recently, copping award after award from the international community, with the latest being TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice award for Best Destination in the Caribbean and the 14th in the world.

In explaining the latest accolades, Issa said in an interview, that the world had had a love affair with Jamaica and the country has been responding with improvements to all pillars of the tourism product.

Negril’s famous seven-mile-long white sand beach

Joseph “Joey” Issa

“For quite some time people from around the world have had a love affair with Jamaica, especially since the rich and famous discovered its unique attractions, properties and people and began romanticising the island in the movies. This has served to publicise Jamaica’s music and entertainment, culture and heritage, and sporting prowess, thereby catapulting its popularity.

“So whereas before the Internet people would visit Jamaica but could not share their treasured experience widely, they are doing so now on all social media platforms and, of course, TripAdvisor, which uses the comments by visitors to compare the popularity of tourism products around the world,” Issa explained.

The well-respected planning and booking website recently highlighted the Caribbean’s best islands based on the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions.

Based on the data, which was gathered over a 12-month period, Jamaica was also named the 14th Best Destination in the World.

“Jamaica is truly honoured to be once again named the Best Destination in the Caribbean and to be listed in the top 20 destinations in the world. This honour is particularly special because it is an honour bestowed on us by visitors who have ranked the services we provide them as exemplary,” Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett was quoted saying, recently.

The minister reportedly went on to say that this accomplishment is a special one for Jamaica, and is one that should be especially cherished by all stakeholders and employees of the industry who have made it their duty to make the visitors’ experiences unforgettable.

“The Ministry of Tourism will do our part to ensure that Jamaica’s tourism product is continuously strengthened and given the support it needs to better meet all the needs of our visitors. Most importantly we will ensure that our destination remains safe, seamless and secure,” Bartlett reportedly said.

TripAdvisor® has also named Seven Mile Beach in Negril the 8th Best Beach in the World for 2018.  With one impressed user reportedly sharing that the famous Negril beach is “one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen’ and describing it as “breathtaking, absolutely stunning, a must-see.”

Other world-ranking accolades from TripAdvisor® are said to include Iberostar Grand Hotel, Rose Hall, which was named the 13th Best All-Inclusive Hotel in the World and Beaches Negril and Spa the 22nd Best Hotel in the World for Family.

“Jamaica is undoubtedly a special destination and also a favourite getaway spot for the rich and famous. Most recently we have had the pleasure of welcoming music power couple Beyoncé, and Jay-Z to our island, whom I am told are here to record new music and film a music video in Trench Town.

“We also had comedian Mike Epps; Prince Harry and his fiancée, Meghan Markle; singer Shawn Mendes; Khloe Kardashian from the E! reality hit show, ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’, who visited with her National Basketball Association boyfriend, Tristan Thompson; and singers Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez,” Bartlett reportedly commented,” Bartlett reportedly said.

According to the report, he went on to share that “the positive publicity our ‘A-list’ guests have given our island is invaluable. This proves that Jamaica remains a lucrative market for high-end resorts. I am certain that their visits will boost the island’s appeal to the world and positively impact our arrivals; thus, helping us to continue to climb in the rankings of the TripAdvisor® users in years to come.”

The Sterling Effect: Joe Issa Shares Fresh Perspective on International Market Performance

Local businessman Joe Issa, who majored in Accounting and Economics from universities on both sides of the Atlantic has found new research on international market gains instructive, tagging it “a must read”.

Issa, whose Cool Group is being leveraged internationally was referencing a recent Telegraph UK article titled, “The sterling effect: you gain 40pc, but the market is only up 15pc”, which he said, “is quite instructive and makes for good coffee-table reading for investors and policymakers.”

Joseph “Joey” Issa

It said, “this may have distorted British investors’ view of how foreign markets have performed: a boost from the depreciation of sterling could have masked poor performance from the actual assets.

According to the article, the dramatic fall in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote has boosted savers’ returns from investments in foreign markets, because the dollars and euros which companies earn overseas are now worth more in sterling terms.

It produced a chart showing the differences in returns for investors in the US and European markets according to whether they invested in pounds, dollars or euros.

“Over the past two years, the S&P 500 index of the most significant American companies has returned 42pc to a sterling investor. Over the same period, the pound fell from more than $1.50 to a low of around $1.20, before recovering to $1.32. In US dollars, the S&P 500 has still performed impressively, gaining 27pc in two years.

“In Europe, the gulf between returns in sterling and returns in euros has been more dramatic. Over the past two years, the Euro Stoxx 50 index has returned 40pc in sterling terms, compared with 15pc in euros.

The disparity is more significant in the case of Europe because, while the pound has recovered somewhat against the dollar recently, no such recovery has taken place against the euro. In two years it has fallen from €1.42 to today’s rate of €1.13, slightly above its recent low of €1.09.

“The European market’s recovery from the financial crisis has lagged behind the US, and growth has been far slower. However, European shares are now comparatively cheap,” said investment analyst FE Trustnet.

The article cited a global survey of fund managers by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, which found that “the eurozone is, after banks, the sector about which professional investors have most dramatically turned optimistic relative to the past 15 years.”

“The most significant disparity between sterling and local currency returns is seen in Japanese shares. Japan’s Topix index has gained 44pc in sterling terms, compared with just 15pc for a local investor in Japanese yen.

“Japan has struggled to escape the deflation that followed the collapse of an asset bubble in 1992. Now, a greater degree of political stability, and the continuation of the economic recovery programme instituted by Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, are giving investors hope.,” the survey found.

As in Europe, the fund managers polled in the Bank of America survey are now said to be far more heavily invested in Japan relative to the past 15 years.

‘You Only Live Twice, but It is Not an Ian Fleming Movie’: Joe Issa Perplexed about Latest Cosmic Discovery

Science enthusiast Joe Issa, who has commented on cosmic events before, has been left amazed by recent reports of a star which appears to have cheated death not once, but twice.

“You only see these things in a James Bond movie. I have read about stars dying and stars being born, but I have never heard of a star rising from its grave; not even once, let alone twice.

 

Joseph “Joey” Issa

“According to the literature, a typical supernova explodes once and then fades to dust soon after and you will never see a second explosion, which would mean the star did not die in the first place.

 

“This latest discovery will serve to enhance our knowledge, even if only to find out that what we thought we knew about a dying star or supernova is not so after all. So there’s a need to continue this piece of research to see it through to dust,” said Issa, who is head of Cool Corporation.

Issa was commenting on a recent Associated Press article titled, “Stellar encore: Dying star keeps coming back big time”, in which astronomers reported that a massive star 500 million light-years away exploded in 1954 and apparently again in 2014.

The research is said to have confounded scientists who thought they knew how dying stars ticked.

“The oft-erupting star is 500 million light-years away — one light-year is equal to 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion kilometres) — in the direction of the Big Bear constellation. It was discovered in 2014 and, at the time, resembled your basic supernova that was getting fainter.

“But a few months later, astronomers at the California-based Las Cumbres Observatory saw it getting brighter they have seen it grow faint, then bright, then faint five times again. They have even found past evidence of an explosion 60 years earlier at the same spot,” the report said.

Supernovas are said to typically fade over 100 days, but this latest one is still going strong after 1,000 days, although it is gradually disappearing.

The finding which was published in the well-respected journal Nature has been described as “very surprising and very exciting” by astrophysicist Iair Arcavi of the University of California in Santa Barbara who led the study.

“We thought we had seen everything there is to see in supernovae after seeing so many of them, but you always get surprised by the universe. This one just really blew away everything we thought we understood about them.”

This illustration made available by the European Southern Observatory in 2014 shows dust surrounding a supernova explosion.

 

The supernova is said to be officially known as iPTF14hls. It is believed to have once been a star up to 100 times more massive than our sun. It could well be the most significant stellar explosion ever observed, which might explain its death-defying peculiarity, the article said.

“It could be multiple explosions occurring so frequently that they run into one another or perhaps a single blast that repeatedly gets brighter and fainter, though scientists do not know precisely how this happens.

“One possibility is that this star was so massive, and its core so hot, that an explosion blew away the outer layers and left the centre intact enough to repeat the entire process. However, this pulsating star theory still doesn’t explain everything about this supernova,” Arcavi reportedly said.

Harvard University’s astronomy chairman, Avi Loeb, who was not involved in the study, has speculated that “a black hole or magnetar – a neutron star with a strong magnetic field – might be at the centre of this never-before-seen behaviour,” noting that further monitoring may better explain what’s going on.

As Las Cumbres – a global network of robotic telescopes – continues to keep watch, scientists are said to have no clue whether this particular supernova is unique. They say it appears rare since no others have been detected.

“We could have missed plenty of them because of it kind of masquerades as a normal supernova if you only look at it once,” Arcavi was quoted as saying, adding that “eventually, this star will go out at some point. I mean, energy has to run out eventually.”

 

Joe Issa Kingston Must Play Big City Role in Jamaica’s Growth and Wellbeing.

Innovative personality Joe Issa, who is a Certified Public Accountant, has tipped Kingston to play the big-city role that it should, stating it has a responsibility to do so.

“Big cities all over the world – Kingston included – attract the best human capital from around the country and abroad, and as the big city, with more people and economic activity it will also consume most of the country’s energy base and generate most of the waste, including CO₂ emission into the atmosphere, which is the main contributor to global warming.

“As Jamaica’s largest city Kingston must take responsibility for generating economic and social prosperity for its residents, who have to endure the waste, and most of whom were lured from other areas of Jamaica, with the promise of a better life for themselves and their families, whom they left behind in communities across the island.

“These rural communities have been deprived of their skills base and expertise to help them develop and grow, and have suffered from family dislocation, which has further impeded their development,” argues Issa, who is a successful businessman, philanthropist, and an advocate for the protection of the environment.

Issa, who along with Times Magazine and UNESCO has touted the readiness of the city of Kingston to be many things, including the 2017 must-visit city and the music and entertainment capital of the world, stated that current undertakings would enhance several of its goals.

“Efforts to redevelop downtown Kingston including the wharf and harbour, those initiatives aimed at establishing more music and culture museums, restaurants and hotels, entrepreneurial education to build a cadre of new entrepreneurs, and technology training to build capacity, will take the city some way towards increasing the social and economic pie for the people and enhance the visitor experience,” he said.

While noting that there is a trickle-down impact on other parishes, Issa also highlighted their plight: “Waste generated in the city that does not end up in its drains, gullies and harbour will surely surface on country roads, drains, riverbeds and coastlines, with a negative impact on fish sanctuaries.”

Joseph Issa

On the basis that every challenge presents an opportunity, Issa said increased awareness of recycling and waste management is not only creating jobs but is also reducing waste around the island – a project in which his Cool Oasis gas stations participate.

Issa was reacting to a news release by Subhash Patil, partner and head of the government and public sector consulting services team for PwC (PriceWaterhouse Coopers LLC) in India, in which he stated that “cities are responsible for the lion’s share of the earth’s energy consumption, waste output, and greenhouse gas emissions.”

He adds that “clearly, cities need to innovate solutions which will drive human civilisation to a sustainable future,” as he highlights PwC Russia’s report – ‘Cities Readiness Index’ – in which Singapore came in at No. 1 regarding digital economy infrastructure.

PwC Russia is one of many offices located around the world to service thousands of clients in many areas. PwC first came to Russia in 1913 and reopened its doors for good in 1989 with an office in Moscow. It has since become “the largest network of firms in Russia providing audit, consulting, and tax and legal services,” according to its website.

The Moscow office is said to employ over 2,000 people, of whom 93 are foreign nationals from 26 different countries. The remainder is believed to be Russian citizens from 80 different regions. Over 35 top managers at PwC are women, and the average age of staff is 29.Its clients in Russia are said to represent over 2,000 companies, more than 200 of which are listed in the RAEX-600.

PwC Russia has several publications including 2017 Retail Industry Trends; Consumer Packaged Goods Trends; and Customers are calling the shots: It’s time for retailers to get fit for the digital age.

 

Joe Issa – A Whopping US$106B to Charity.

Jamaican businessman and philanthropist Joe Issa has hailed the top 20 philanthropists in the world for the whopping US$106 billion given to charities, stating the world is a better place to live because of their generosity.

“I read the article and was impressed by the enormous amount of money given by the top 20 philanthropists in the world for charitable causes. Of course, I was disappointed in not making a list,” Issa said jokingly, in an interview.

He said while he was impressed by all the contributions, “I was particularly impressed by the mammoth contributions of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates,” who are among the world’s richest men.

Issa, himself, is no ‘spring chicken’ when it comes to philanthropy, having founded several charities to give back to society. He was still attending university – London School of Economics (LSE) in the United Kingdom – when he famously founded his first charity, Educate the Children Fund, to buy books for Jamaican and Caribbean under-privileged schools.

Issa is said to have given scholarships to bright, underprivileged children to study at his alma mater university in the United States – College of the Holy Cross. The scholarships were said to be costing him some J$500,000 a month, in addition to other contributions by his Cool Charities subsidiary.

According to research by Wealth-X, the top twenty philanthropists who have given out a total of US$106.8 billion to charity is led by Bill Gates, who has so far donated US$27 billion of his wealth.

Gates, who is a co-founder of the world’s largest software company Microsoft, is said to spend most of his time now managing philanthropic projects under the umbrella of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has donated many computers to the Jamaica Library Service to help spread internet access across the country.

 

Bill and Melinda Gates

 

In second place was Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He has so far donated US$21.5 billion to charities. In 2006, he pledged to donate 85% of his wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and to other foundations set up by family members.

Hungarian George Soros nicknamed the man who broke the Bank of England by selling short 10 billion pounds and making a billion pound in profit was third. This is said to have happened during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crisis. He has donated $8 billion to health, education, community development and social services.

Behind Azim Premji was Charles Francis Feeney at number five. Feeney often called the “James Bond” of philanthropy, is said to be determined to give away his entire fortune made as co-founder of the Duty-Free Shoppers Group. He has already donated US$6.3 billion to health, education, science, and civil rights across several countries, including the US, Vietnam, and Bermuda, said Wealth-X.

Carlos Slim one of the three richest self-made billionaires in the world has so far given US$4 billion. He was No. 8, while George Kaiser with US$3.3 billion donated so far for education, health, and community development was No. 10.

At No. 11 was Michael Bloomberg co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates. He has given US$3 billion to charity for health.

 

 Michael Bloomberg and wife

 

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, one of the youngest self-made billionaires in the world was at No. 13. He has donated $1.6 billion to philanthropic causes. Last year he disbursed US$25 million to help fight Ebola, a fight on which Issa commented, about Jamaica’s readiness at the time.

Jon Huntsman Sr. founder of Huntsman Chemical Corporation, the most significant polystyrene manufacturer in the United States, used widely including as burger containers, has given away US$1.2 billion for cancer research. He was placed at No. 15.

The last spot in the top 20 was occupied by Dietmar Hopp, a German IT entrepreneur who co-founded SAP, the famous software company. He has donated US$1 billion to support local education, sports and health causes in his hometown. He is said to worth US$6.3 billion.