Magyar News, 1999. szeptember-2000. augusztus (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2000-01-01 / 5. szám
LOON 4 4 That must be a lot of money. At least the way I look at it. For some people it is only small change. Interestingly there are Hungarian refugees or immigrants who wouldn’t even bünk an eye when they hear a million in dollars. Foibes compiled a list of rich immigrants. The 68 year old George Soros is the third on the list, worth 4 billion dollars. He helped Hungary in many ways. His name is also on many publications. Without him the Civic Education Project wouldn’t exist in Hungary. He, besides many others, gave China hundreds of millions. The next Hungarian on the list is Steven Ferenc Udvar-Házy with $1.3 B (latest figure $ 1.6 B). On his tail is his partner Leslie Gonda just around one billion His son Louis Gonda reached over a billion. They built up the International Lease Finance Corporation that owns about 400 airplanes, the big ones, with a value of 17 billion dollars. Both partners give very generously to charity. The Gonda family donated $45 million to the Mayo Clinic, the largest gift from a living person ever. Recently Steven Udvar-Házy came into the limelight with the donation he made to the Smithsonian Institute. Smithsonian was planning a museum for its very large planes and rockets. The budget for it was in at a high level. Among other people Udvar-Házy was approached. They described the plan and its potential. They showed how this kind of a museum could affect education and the learning of students. This point really got Mr. Udvar- Házy moving. Well it could have been a longer time but everybody refers to it as 5 minutes for Udvar-Házy to make up his mind and commit to a donation. He offered 61 million dollars without any further questions or remarks. I was trying to find material that in some way related to his Hungarian background. I found some speeches he made and here are some quotes. “The time has arrived for my family to give back to America part of the rewards that aviation has been instrumental in creating my success.” Another time referring to the large amount of the donation, he said:”I don’t know how to say it. We’re not seeking publicity, but we like to do things in a major, big way. That’s just our style.” What I really liked was recorded by a news reporter who admired Udvar-Házy’s mischievous grin under his reddish-brown mustache as he said:” It’s a Hungarian, barbarian style.” Well it really beats a lot of pussy-footing people. What do we know about Steven Udvar-Házy? After the collapse of the 1956 Revolution his parents Ernest and Ethel they escaped from the Russian occupation and went to Sweden bringing with them Steven and his brother, André. From there, shortly after, came to the United States in 1958. Udvar-Házy, now 53, was about twelve years old at that time. He attended the University of California in Los Angeles and graduated in economics. In 1966, while still attending the university, at the age of 21, he formed Airlines Systems Research consultants. This firm specialized in airline routes, fleet, and planning analysis. He had quite an early start! A year later with Leslie Gonda, he set the groundwork for what became the International Lease Finance Corporation. This became the world’s largest aircraft lessor. Its fleet is also the most modem Steven Ferenc Udvar-Házy with the average age of the planes being only 4 years old. Udvar-Házy is a pilot himself having accumulated thousands of hours in the cockpit, including jets. The three quarter million square feet Dulles Center will probably wear his name. Our suggestion is that the word Hungarian should be included. The Center will have 25,000 artifacts, 180 aircrafts, and 100 spacecrafts. One would see the B- 29 “Enola Gay” that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the Enterprise space shuttle, and the 107 foot long Blackbird. The 747 jetliner and a Pershing II rocket will be part of the exhibit. There will be Russian and Japanese warplanes Among these is the Aichi Seiran floatplane that was designed to be carried on a submarine and to drop bombs on the Panama Canal. The National Air and Space Museum’s Dallas Center is expected to open in a few years. Besides facilitating education it wift also house a restoration center where visitors will be able to view ongoing work. Joseph F. Balogh PR/A/T/A/G T<S GRAPHICS 203-377-6571 Fairfield aPnHima* County REAL ESTATE f COMPANY I Erika R. Urszenyi Realtor Associate Office:203-259-9999 Fax:203-255-5952 Voice Mai1:203-336-7182 www.fcre.com Experienced in all phases of TAX and ACCOUNTING Allan Chomortany. CPA Fairfield location Phone: 203-335-1935 enoir d©ypfl<pslb!JD&, Call Steve Miko AMSCO. Tel:203-331 -0466 PLANNING TO sell or buy REALESTATE IN * HUNGARY? Contact: Arany hid GM. 3523 Miskolc 23 PF. 91 Hungary Agents may request Phone & Fax numbers from the above address Page 7
