The founder of Gold Medal Travel who became a multi-millionaire has reportedly vowed to give away the vast majority of his fortune.
Ken Townsley, 71, has pledged huge chunks of his £100 million fortune towards helping children with life-limiting or terminal illnesses.
He plans to handpick the charities which will benefit, having already made sizeable donations to two children’s hospices.
Margaret Ingram, who runs the entrepreneur’s Kentown Wizard Foundation in Blackpool, told MailOnline: “Quite often they are very surprised to hear from us because they have not applied. We just ask if they want some money.”
Townsley began working as a baggage handler aged 15 before working his way up to the role of reservations manager at Blackpool airport.
After moving to British Eagle Airways he was made redundant when the company folded in 1968.
He used the money he received through a redundancy payment to set up a travel agent in Blackpool town centre.
Gold Medal Travel grew into a 600-employee company which he sold to Thomas Cook in 2009 for around £87 million.
Ingram said: “He doesn’t have a chauffeur or cook. I went out to see him in Thailand recently and he cleans the place himself and he cooks for himself. He does not have a playboy lifestyle.”
Townsley, who now lives in Florida, has already funded two nurses at Brian House Children’s Hospice in Bispham, Blackpool, and paid for a refurbishment of Donna’s Dreamhouse in the town.
His philanthropy has also seen him donate £200,000 each to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Dreams Come True, as well as £20,000 to the Rainbow Trust.
Ingram added: “Ken just lets us get on with it.
“He does not really want to be involved in the day-to-day decision making process.
“The charities will be UK-based but it’s nice we are starting in Blackpool because Ken is Blackpool born and bred.”