Samuel Michael “Sam” Simon (June 6, 1955 – March 8, 2015) was an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist.
In 1989 he developed the animated sitcom The Simpsons with Matt Groening andJames L. Brooks. Simon’s relationship with Groening was strained and he left the show in 1993, negotiating a pay-off which saw him receive tens of millions of dollars from the show’s revenue each year. The following year he co-created The George Carlin Show, before later working as a director on shows such as The Drew Carey Show. Simon won ninePrimetime Emmy Awards for his television work.
Simon turned to fields outside television in his later years. He regularly appeared on Howard Stern’s radio shows, managed boxer Lamon Brewster and helped guide him to the World Boxing Organization Heavyweight Championship in 2004 and was a regular poker player and six-time in the money finisher at the World Series of Poker. Simon ran the Sam Simon Foundation, which rescues and trains stray dogs and funded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel the MY Sam Simon, which was named after him. He had been married twice and was engaged at the time of his death.
Simon was diagnosed with terminal colorectal cancer in 2012 and given only three to six months to live. He donated much of his fortune to charity. He died on March 8, 2015.
Simon has been doing amazing things for animals for years. He’s been a vegetarian since age 19 and a vegan since 2005. An unabashed dog lover, in 2002, he began spending millions of dollars annually to establish and run the Sam Simon Foundation, a non-profit organization that saves the lives of dogs “to enrich the lives of people.”As of 2011, the Foundation was worth $23 million.
His devastating 2012 cancer diagnosis got Simon thinking seriously. He’s worth an incredible amount of money because of his “Simpsons” royalties, earning “tens of millions” annually. He’s not married and has no children. He has provided for the rest of his family. He decided it was time to kick his charitable work into high gear.
You can donate to his charity in support of animals at: http://www.samsimonfoundation.com/
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/8-ways-simpsons-co-creator-sam-simon-is-helping-animals-before-he-dies.html#ixzz3U0VPbgZw
Biography via Wikipedia.com
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