Each of us aged over 50 has our own definition of what it means to be Switched ON, and how we can free ourselves from the curse of a traditional, passive retirement.

For some of us, it’s our professional or business life where we shine while others dedicate themselves to community service.

Regardless of which path we choose, all Switched ON success stories have in common a couple of key attributes. One is setting a goal, creating a plan to achieve that goal, and then sticking to the plan until the goal is achieved.

It’s so easy to say, and yet as we all know too well, it’s so hard to achieve.

A second success attribute is that we follow our instincts, and It’s this combination of focus and instinct which makes Chuck Feeney a remarkable man with a remarkable story.

Born into a New Jersey working-class family during the Depression, Chuck took full advantage of the opportunities offered by his service in the US military.

The first opportunity was to study at Cornell University, an Ivy League college that would have been well beyond his means if it hadn’t been for Uncle Sam and the GI Bill.

The second opportunity Chuck created for himself where he had nous enough to spot a service that soon developed into a booming business.

But something happened to him around the time he turned 50. It seems he discerned the one thing more enjoyable than making a fortune is giving one away.

As we see in this video from his foundation, it wasn’t enough that he decided to go all-in to hand out everything he had, Chuck specifically wanted to do it while he was still alive and could enjoy the good that comes from his donations.

The projects soon followed – universities in Ireland, community health centres in Vietnam, research centres in Queensland, and many more besides.

Recent reports indicate that Chuck has made his last disbursement and now the coffers at The Atlantic Philanthropies are empty. That’s means mission accomplished.

But it’s far from game over. There are millions of people worldwide who will benefit in perpetuity from Chuck’s generosity and his example has proved an inspiration to others, up to and including Bill Gates.

Chuck Feeney no longer has the riches he once owned, but we can be very sure within himself, he’s never been more complete or more contented.

We can also be very sure that Chuck has his own very clear definition of what it means to be Switched ON.