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Perennial goodwill chaser offers to fund Blanket Man funeral

by Whaleoil on January 17, 2012

Dear old Gareth Morgan has offered to fund Blanketman’s funeral.

What a shame he didn’t help fund drying out and job skill training for Blanket Man back when he was alive.

I’m not picking directly on Morgan, who is at least being generous and kindly, but the action is symptomatic of ambulances at the bottom of the cliff instead of fences at the top.

It is a darn sight better than the false crocodile tears being shed by Labour’s ambulance chasers.

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  • Zelda

    Tax deduction for him! Kind gesture.

    • sthnjeff

      FFS get a life What a stupid comment that is.

    • Davidw

      Bad call Zelda.  No tax deduction on this for either Morgan or his Trust for several reasons.  Take your petty snarkiness elsewhere and infest a proper sewer like the Standard.  I promise you will feel right at home.

      • Thorn

        Its a viable marketing expense with a clear line of sight to enhancing the brand. Why else would Gareth make his act of charity public? 

    • Sarrs

      No…no tax deduction. Not even for ‘marketing’ – just a personal donation to a non-registered entity so no 33% back under that scheme either. It’s a bit cynical to suggest that – as much as I don’t like Gareth Morgan’s politics, he is a proper generous chap both with his time and money. 

  • sthnjeff

    But this is a case Whale of Blanket Man climbing straight over the top of the Fence at the top of the cliff. He has had more than enough people attempting to help him over the years.   Good on Gareth

  • Jim

    Cousin Charles Hana yesterday said it had been a couple of years since he’d last seen Mr Hana and he had seemed to be in a bad way then.”I’d imagine he’d contracted quite a lot of things, he didn’t look after himself. There were times when I would have suspected he got pneumonia. He wasn’t well.”I wonder what was his purpose behind his actions. He came from a very good family, it wasn’t as though he lived in poverty.”If there were provisions for him to live a better life I don’t think he would have taken it.”

  • Mickrodge

    I dunno if Ben Hana is a great example of “slipping through the cracks”.

    There was never going to be a “Trading Places” moment where he brushed himself off, threw on a suit & bought a house in Wadestown.

    Some people don’t want to be helped. 

  • Thorn

    Once again, the Iwi is no where to being seen, leaving it to Gareth to pick up the Pakehas’ Burden.

  • Kosh103

    No surprise that old WO cannot accept that a person in Labour is having a genuine reaction. How sad to live in that sort of a world.

    • Alex

      In your usual way, you ignore WO’s point as to why Morgan does it now?   why didn’t he  donate money while Ben Hana was alive and it would (theoretically) have done some good?  Those of us who have watched the ascent of Mr G Morgan, now notice that everything is a calculated gesture to enhance his “brand” by keeping his face in the paper. This is just another empty gesture.    

      • Kosh103

        Im not saying that more should not have been done for this guy during his life, and that Morgans offer would have been of greater use to this poor guy however WO is just as bad as anyone on the left using this mans death for a bit of print time.

        WO is using blanket mans death as a tool to attack those on the left he does not like. And you lot are jumping on the bandwagon. He and all of those muppets agreeing with WO are just as bad as anyone on the left milking this for a bit of the spotlight.

      • Alex

        @b32f09744e97966ab0d05f2db1e98c09:disqus WO is using this to make the very valid point that Ben Hana’s death is being treated as a PR exercise by members of the Left to perpetrate the image that they’re “more caring and enlightened”.  It is all so symptomatic of the Left wing now it’s been taken over by the liberal middle classes — it’s about making Princess Di-style gestures that ultimately do nothing to address the situation. And if they’re going to make use of the media in this way, don’t be surprised when someone like WO pours scorn. 

        If Morgan had quietly and anonymously donated the money, then I would accept it was a kind gesture. 

      • Kosh103

        WO may have a valid point, but he is using this death all the same to attack those on the left he does not agree with.

        He gets no points for any of it.

    • Alex

      Am trying to work out whether this donation is more or less generous than his funding Happy Feet to be released in the southern ocean.  

      • Kosh103

        At the end of the day it is his money to spend as he wants. And if he wants to spend it on flightless birds and helping others, well then so be it.

      • Alex

        @b32f09744e97966ab0d05f2db1e98c09:disqus agree he can do what he wants with his money; but I’m tired of his “look at me, I’m a star” routine.  There are philanthropists out there who donate way more, to less “sexy” causes, and don’t crave attention.  As I say, having watched Morgan’s climb to fame over the last few years, I confess to being rather cynical about him.  All I hope is that he has the financial acumen, because I know a large number of people who have invested with because of the image he’s created. 

    • Groans

      I thought you were banned

      • Kosh103

        Nope. Why would you think that?

      • Super Guest

        This isn’t the left where they gag, dissenters.

      • Gazzaw

        WO put him on probation on Friday or Saturday. One more out of line comment and he’s off to join GWW.

        Hope not because we need a comedy act.  

      • Kosh103

        Well Gazzwaz he must have forgotten to tell me because I know nothing of it.

  • Rosa19

    I was hungry and you gave me no meal,I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,I was homeless and you gave me no bed,I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
    They people were confused, they asked Jesus when they ever ignored or rejected him, he replied,
    ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’

    • Kthxbai

      Huh? 

      Do you know nothing about Mr Hana?  He lived off donations, was given food and appropriate drink and money on a regular basis by people who knew him.  He discarded clothes he was given and refused shelter.

      As for visitors, people did talk while passing, but he usually wasn’t interested.

      His tragedy is his past and his mental illnesses and alcohol and drug abuse, not his supposed rejection by society.

      Your sanctimony is misplaced.

  • Rotcod

    I am pleased that Blanket Man will get a good send off.  Hopefully, those that are there will take more than just a few moments to think about why he chose to live on the streets and why he refused help.  

  • Peter Wilson

    Quite frankly the outpouring of tributes etc is ludicrous. Did anyone ever exchange two civil words to him? Most people would take steps to avoid any direct contact with him I suspect. I have some admiration for him, choosing his way of life. Did he get a benefit I wonder? 

    But, knowing his reputation, he would call most of you scum for supporting him now.

    • http://unsolicitedious.wordpress.com/ Unsolicitedious

      Completely agree

      Re benefit – doubtful as didn’t have a “permanent place of abode”, but he certainly benefited from welfare (prison) & charity.

  • Steve and Monique

    Good on Morgan for stumping up with the money for his funeral.

  • JAX

    Meanwhile lets login to my good old GMK kiwisaver account. Gareth Morgan Growth Fund returns since inception -13.13%
    Geez at this rate I will end up as Blanket Man in my retirement.    Why doesnt he put some of his focus on his funds,  which he professes to know something about .    Then he might have some credibility.  Thus far all he does is preach on about the markets,  but when he puts others money where his mouth is ,  you can see the return above.  

    • sthnjeff

      This is hardly perculiar to “his fund”. Ever heard of the Global Financial Crisis? Would suggest plenty more around showing far worse returns. Should also be noted Investment is a long term  game

      • JAX

        Typical cop out,  blame the GFC or market – your forgetting he is the expert remember,  he is spouting his expertise,  telling us he knows all about the solutions to our problems and how the economy and market works and where its strengths and weaknesses are,  therefore he should easily be able to figure out where the market is going and bet against it and win – thats what you pay a fund manager to do ,  yet he is not ,  his returns actually if you do look at the benchmarks are one of the WORST,   So what that imply,  he actually knows squat,  no more than anyone else – his returns prove he is no better as you say than any other fund manager,  so why all the press.  

      • Anonymous

        My AMP Kiwisaver is down by almost 18%…but then it does depend on the scheme. Mine is ‘aggressive’ because I’m in my mid-twenties, if a balanced or conservative scheme was down 13% I would be concerned!

    • John Q Pubic

      Two questions:
      1. Are you retiring next year? Or the year after? No? So it’s value now is somewhat irrelevant isn’t it?
      2. Ever heard of dollar cost averaging? Thought not.

  • Blair Mulholland

    I’ve had just about enough of Gareth Morgan.  Ever since he came into money he’s turned socialist on us.  This fellow Hana was clearly quite happy living as he did, and he died, and so what?  The best way of helping him when he was alive was clearly to leave him be, and now in death I don’t see why anyone should mourn him.  It seems to me to come down to some sort of guilt about his condition.  Well I have no guilt at all – if he needed help finding the WINZ or Housing offices, I’d point them out to him, but he didn’t want the help.  Now he’s dead.  Let the dead bury their dead.

    • Bob

      Hear hear! Gareth Morgan is starting to irritate me as well. All very well being Mr Holier than Thou with however tens of millions in the bank…

      • sthnjeff

        Knock down the man who has had some success in his life.

      • http://www.whaleoil.co.nz Whaleoil

        It was his son’s success, whining socialists like Gareth Morgan rarely have success off their own efforts.

      • Guest

        Hoi – Oim Gawith Morgan, and I loike giving  awoi my money. And if you invest with me, oil give awoi your money too!

    • Alex

      Suspect that the “turned socialist” is another marketing ploy — it’ll positioning him nicely for consultancy contracts when we have another left-wing government. 

      • Blair Mulholland

        We just elected a left wing government.  You mean a Hard Left government?  He will be waiting a long time.

  • Anonymous

    maybe gareth should use his flipping great wadgers of cash to save something still alive and actually helpless:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6267646/Zion-big-cats-could-be-put-down-lawyer

  • Paulus

    Morgan hope that his public philanthropy will get him his knighthood.
    Wish his Kiwi Saver went as well, as that’s where he should be looking.
    His management results are very poor indeed.

  • Anonymous

    http://register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/NocAnnualReturnSummary.aspx?nocid=b60caf4b-31ea-e011-8be3-00155d741101&ref=MOR00005&cid=6e206f2b-008a-dc11-98a0-0015c5f3da29
    Hopefully that link works – to Gareth Morgan’s charity. This website is actually a really useful tool for the studious donor – you can see from this summary that three people work an average of 84 hours between them per week and are paid $216k for the pleasure. It lets you know what proportion of donations are choked up by admin costs and wages and how much money is actually distributed each year. 

  • Pharmachick

    I dunno you guys … when Owen Glenn is popping into NZ and passing around $$ everyone here thinks he’s awesome. I know that OG tends to fund different causes than GM like AKL Uni business school etc, but OG still gets an awful lot of good press out of it. Which, by the way; I support immensely. If OG (or GM) is giving back, as far as I’m concerned thats wonderful !!  

    Anyway, seems to me that Gareth Morgan is also trying to do good with his money. 

    We should be THANKING philanthropists and applauding philanthropy in *all*  its forms in NZ… from America’s Cup sponsorship, through support of tertiary education, to free school milk, to a businessman who dips into his own pocket to pay for a funeral for someone that had nothing. They’re all being generous and we as Kiwis should applaud that, not bring petty political bias to bear.

    • MrV

      Fair enough I suppose, but Gareth Morgan’s business now essentially gets a massive taxpayer subsidy (called Kiwisaver). I think people had more respect for him as a financial advisor when he wasn’t in such cohoots of govt programmes.

      • Anonymous

        I do wonder if his scheme invests only in ‘eco-friendly’ investments or does he invest in companies that destroy the rain forests in Asia that his charity works so hard to rebuild?

      • Pharmachick

        A good businessman is hard nosed enough to know all the angles and take advantage of them. Ethically, morally or philosophically you may not like Mr. Morgan taking advantage of the Kiwisaver/Govt paradigm but 1) it shows he’s a serious businessman and 2) if NZers are going to invest in Kiwisaver, they need good options (and more than a single monopoly fund). So Mr. Morgan seems to be very much on top of the business affairs there.

        Not all good businessmen are BOTH hard nosed enough to be good and kind hearted enough to **DO** good. Gareth Morgan in one of them. I may not always agree with his ’causes’ but I see his intent. And I think that is very, very fine indeed. 

    • Anonymous

      If he wants to give his money away then let him. And while he’s there, he can give it to anyone he likes. I don’t question his motives even if I don’t like his politics. 

      Does he do good? Undoubtedly. Does he makes people’s lives better? Also undoubtedly. Should we respect him for that alone? Steeeeeerriiiikkkeee tthhhreeeeeeee…also undoubtedly.

      • Dutyfree

        But why the press release approach? Why not just pony up the money and not say who it is from? Many of us give anonymously, it is about the giving not the ego.

      • Sarrs

        @ Dutyfree yea…that is an issue. I think perhaps he should have just offered to pay the costs and then declined to speak to the media. 

  • Pdubyah

    At least he appears to be getting his hand in his pocket and handing over cash, unlike many other “celebrity” names who would “support” a cause by showing up and geting kudos for it.

    For Ben, and also not so long ago for Margaret of K’Rd always too little, always too late.

  • Apolonia

    Wait till Darren Hughes gets back there will be men all over Wellington wearing blankets

  • Anonymous

    Meh. Put the guy in a weighted bag and push him off the back of a ferry in the middle of Cook Strait. 

    • Anonymous

      Just kidding……

    • Frederico

      Nah…he’ll probably wash up on Oriental beach.

      • Alex

        clinging on to a swiss ball for his dear wee life.

  • Michael

    Ben Hana was a terribly tormented man, and he had my pity. His premature death was inevitable given his lifestyle.

    I don’t recall everyone jumping on this bandwagon when hotelier and former City Councillor Chris Parkin offered to underwrite the late Bob Jones’ (aka Bucket Man) funeral. However, despite living on the streets Bob Jones the Bucket Man had several thousand dollars in a bank account so it was self-funded.
    The big thing people need to take out of this is the NZ welfare system is so generous that the handful of homeless people in Wellington have a kind of notoriety.

    • http://unsolicitedious.wordpress.com/ Unsolicitedious

      Oh that’s interesting so bucket man (I call him carpet man as when I saw him he had a large carpet bag with him) was offered the same send off.

      Re “The big thing people need to take out of this is the NZ welfare system is so generous that the handful of homeless people in Wellington have a kind of notoriety.” – I agree. But doesn’t mean to say that is deserved.

  • Boss Hogg

    Why does the thought of Cactus Kate “Removing a whisker at a time” from Gareth Morgans upper lip appeal to me…………………..

    He deserves to be shot with a ball of his own shit !!  Openly crtitical of Kwi Save until he works out how to self promote and make some money then fronts it like it was his idea.  Then he becomes some climate change genius – give me strength !!!!!

  • http://unsolicitedious.wordpress.com/ Unsolicitedious

    Re Morgan – I agree with the others. If it was genuinely charitable he would have done it anonymously. But yes he does seem like a sincere fellow albeit a hypocritical one at that….gotta love the socialist who has more money than sense so doesn’t mind higher taxes (no doubt because they have trusts!) to pay for the poor. And bleating on about how they didn’t have to pay tax on $700 million & this is unfair….boohoo. Hardly makes a case for CGT given that they were just exceptionally lucky.

    Oh and what exactly did Morgan Mr philanthropist do to get his hundreds of millions? Oh that’s right – bugger all. It was his son who stayed up all night for years getting Trade Me off the ground.

    But I digress…..in terms of the funeral – completely disagree with one being held. Hana should be treated as any homeless man would (anyone remember the carpet bag man with the big boil – a very intelligent man who I don’t think was an addict….where was his send off?). He should be cremated & given a box in the cemetery where his comrades are.

    A send off is wasteful, hypocritical & quite frankly insulting to all those who struggle through no fault of their own. 

    If Morgan wants to be generous then he should contact Starship, Cure Kids or Child Cancer – plenty of kids there whose families have done everything right financially but are forced to constantly fundraise to fund their child’s treatment.

  • Steve (North Shore)

    Mr Morgan knows this is a one off payment for the funeral
    To have given finance before ‘Blanket Man’s’ death and to all of the losers would mean WELFARE, and he aint gonna pay that.
    Mr Morgan likes the TAXPAYER to do these things. He gives, Mr Sir Gareth

    • http://unsolicitedious.wordpress.com/ Unsolicitedious

      And we all know he aint know real taxpayer….

  • Tigga

    The interest on his trademe fortune in a few hours alone would pay for a modest funeral in my opinion. Sorry but I think he needs to giving Kiwisaver customers better than a negative return than riding a motorbike and paying for funerals or penguins to go home. Would we all not love to have non tax paid profits to play being the big hearted man with? Labour was right about capital gains tax and at least then the taxpayer could have helped Hana and others. Where are we going with John Keys sell off everything to those that already have too much?