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Transcript excerpts from “Honest Questions with Jon Huntsman,” Glenn Beck, CNN Headline News.
GLENN BECK, HOST: Hard to imagine that there was a time when Jon Huntsman lived in a home held up by cardboard walls. Resting comfortably now on the list of "Forbes'" 400 wealthiest Americans, the self-made billionaire is now spending his cash on one thing—curing cancer.
I met you when I took a tour of your cancer center, and then I read your book, Winners Never Cheat. I've never, ever read anything like it. It is truly—I've given it to everybody I know saying, my gosh, this is who I want to be. And if we all understood these principles or lived by them—we all do understand them—what a different world we'd live in.
Tell me about—everybody would say that we're living in a dog-eat- dog world. You've got—you've got to slit their throat. You've got to take it while you can. You've got—everybody's doing it. Why—why don't do you that in business?
JON HUNTSMAN: Well, I think, Glenn, there's an old expression that we all know. It said—it goes as follows—life isn't fair, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be fair. And as we go through life, I think we have to take an accountability of ourself and see, you know, who are we? What are our real values? What do we believe in?
I'd like if I can just mention this early on here—I'd like to talk to people about what will be said at their funeral. Have you ever planned a eulogy? When you talk to 21-year-olds, you talk to college students, you talk to young executives on Wall Street or on Fleet Street in London, Montgomery Street in San Francisco, or somewhere in Russia or China, particularly at Beijing University in China, where I was recently, and you ask them, "Have you ever planned your eulogy? What are they going to say about you? What is the character of the man or woman involved?"
And so I would just say that, you know, that's kind of the key to life, is to ask ourself, when we're speeking at our funeral, how are we going to be?
BECK: I want to talk about your pivot point. Here you've got—here you are, a guy who grew up in a house with cardboard walls with eight families, dirt poor. You became a billionaire.
You said something that took my breath away as we were in an elevator, and you said it just offhandedly. And I don't mean to stick you out, because I know you're a shy man, believe it or not, on stuff like this. You said, "You've got to care about everything."
Sorry. You have to care about everything: not just cancer, not just abuse or whatever, but everything. And you're giving away almost $2 billion in the next 18 months.
What was your pivot point? What was it that said, "I now—I have all this money, and I want to give it all away"? Was there a pivot point?
HUNTSMAN: Well, I think there was, Glenn. I think, first of all, you know, when people come from humble backgrounds and don't have much to start with, I think that, you know, you have to—you have to give back to society that which you've been fortunate enough to receive. My mother had cancer at a very young age, and I used to go give her shots to help her pain. And she was in her 50s, and she died, and I was holding her in my arms when she died.
And I thought, you know, at that time I'd never made anything in my life: $400, $500 a month was the maximum. I thought, "Oh, if I could ever make anything in life for my mother. She's the sweetest woman. She's never said anything negative about anyone, and she dies for no reason at all right in my arms." I said, you know, "We're going to get rid of this disease. We are going to get rid of this disease, no matter what it takes."
I don't know, Glenn. It just seems like those who are blessed with money have an obligation—no, no, they have a duty. They have a solemn duty in life to give that money back to a better and higher use, and that better and higher use is helping our fellow man and woman.
The entire object of what we're doing here is to prevent cancer or detect it early and to take wonderful care of the patient if we do detect it early and eventually allow them to live a normal life with comforts and pain-free. We're doing everything we can to accommodate that goal.
It's interesting to note that when we built this facility eight years ago, we wanted to build a facility that was unique in America. We wanted to find the type of pathway to progress and hope that would give cancer patients a feeling that the very, very finest quality was put forth for their care and comfort.
BECK: OK. So what's next? Because I know you're giving all your money away. What's next? What is the next phase for the hospital? Because you're doubling in size, are you not?
HUNTSMAN: We are. We are doubling in size, and we've got to conquer this disease. There are over 200 different types of cancers, and these wonderful people, Dr. Burt, Dr. Beckerle, their colleagues at other cancer institutes and other places around the country are working hard to overcome the world's most difficult health problem, which is cancer. And what we need more than anything else is money, of course.
We're giving all we can make. We're giving all that we have. But we need more. We need people who have had cancer. We need people who may get cancer. We need people who are predisposed for the disease, which include almost everybody, to send in their contributions and to recognize that it doesn't do a lot of good in life to just make a lot of money.
I have this great plaque behind my desk, Glenn, and it says: "The greatest exercise for the human heart is to reach down and lift another up." Everybody is into exercise programs. The greatest exercise for the human heart is to reach down and lift another up. And that's what we're trying to do in cancer.
And so we need the funds, and we're grateful for those who give them, but we're going to make a difference in cancer.
BECK: How does somebody get involved? How does somebody donate?
HUNTSMAN: It's just Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, Utah. And whether it's research, if they'd like to come out there, we have places, other places around the U.S. We're putting Huntsman Cancer Hospitals out West.
BECK: America, I would just like to ask you two things. Please read this book. It's two years old. This guy didn't care if it makes a dime. I care that you read this book. You will meet a man that you just don't see very often. And please, help the Huntsman Cancer Institute, a worthwhile cause.
3 comments:
While this maybe a worthwhile cause, don't ever forget, Jehovah God is the answer to the end of cancer and all other diseases. Even death will be done away with. All of this by means of His Kingdom in the hands of His son, Jesus Christ. When Jesus was on earth he demonstrated his ability to do away with all diseases by curing many people and even raising the dead and giving them back to their loved ones. Man cannot do away with the problems of this world. Only God can do that. So, let us continue to pray as Jesus taught us: "Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified, Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth." Matthew 6:9, 10
I know all things come from Jehovah God. What a great mind he gave man. If we use it to do his will, and follow his teachings how blessed we are. Jehovah has allowed mankind to make many wonderful inventions and discoveries. Through Jehovah God man can be inspired and directed for the good of mankind.
We give all the glory to God.
We must all do our best.
What more can anyone ask of us?
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