- T. Denny Sanford, who died July 18 at 90, gave away more than $4 billion in his lifetime—about $2 billion to Sanford Health—and famously said he wanted to “die broke.”
- He made his fortune with First Premier Bank and Premier Bankcard, issuing high-interest cards to credit-impaired customers.
- His donations reshaped South Dakota—funding hospitals, scholarships, a deep‑science research facility and cultural institutions—and cemented his reputation as the state’s leading philanthropist.
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