Quincy billionaire Rob Hale gifts $1,000 to newly minted Bridgewater State University graduates: ‘Take chances'
Speaking at the ceremony, Hale said each graduate would receive two envelopes. One containing a gift for them and the second, 'the gift of giving.'
The
A Quincy College student holding the gift that Rob Hale surprised them with in 2021. Each graduate received $1,000 - $500 cash for themselves and an additional $500 to give away, paying it forward.
Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff
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Hale
He spoke about what it was like declaring bankruptcy during his speech on Friday.
'I drove that business into bankruptcy, and in the process — this is the truth — lost more than a billion dollars. Have you guys ever met someone before who lost a billion dollars?' Hale asked. 'The chances are very high I'm the biggest loser you've ever met.'
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Hale recalled the difficult conversations he had to have, and the impact it had on his family.
'My wife is at home with a 4 year old, a 2 year old, and a 6 year old,' he said. 'She picked up the phone. On the end of the call, the guy said, 'Because of what your husband's done, I'm coming over to kill you.''
Hale said he felt like he'd hit rock bottom and failed.
'But failure is part of the process,' he said.
It turned out to be a learning experience.
'I've had cool things happen in my life,' he said. 'Do you know when they happened? Post failure.'
Hale told the Bridgewater State graduating class that they should never give up.
'As a leader, you should take chances,' he said.
Hale now has a net worth of $5.8 billion, earning him a spot on
Granite provides voice, data and other communications services to businesses and governmental agencies in the United States and Canada, and the company generated over $1.8 billion in sales in 2023, according to Forbes.
Hale and his wife, Karen, are known for their generosity. After Hale completed the Boston Marathon last year, the couple
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