Simpsons Co-Creator, Sam Simon, Donates His Fortune To Charity After Terminal Colon Cancer Diagnosis
![Sam Simon](https://d.medicaldaily.com/en/full/230612/sam-simon.jpg?w=475&f=51a7dd5352098632202739216b22dadc)
Television writer and producer Sam Simon's contributions to the entertainment world are immeasurable given the success of The Simpsons, America's longest running show on television. Now facing terminal colon cancer, with which he was diagnosed five months ago, Simon knows just what to do with the fortune he has accrued over his long and lucrative career.
As a guest on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast back in May, Simon made the announcement that he only had three to six months to live. He also declared that all of the money he has made off of Simpsons royalties, somewhere around "tens of millions" according to Simon, will be donated to charity.
Simon's work as a philanthropist in the past has been well-documented. Not only does he care for food-deprived homeless people through his Malibu-based Sam Simon Foundation, but he also feeds stray dogs. In fact, with Simon as an active contributor to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the organization named its Norfolk, Va., headquarters the Sam Simon Center.
Even though he stays in high spirits, the treatment that Simon has been receiving since his terminal diagnosis is still a burden on his life. He said the months he has left consist of one week on chemotherapy followed by one week off, while feeling all of the side effects including nausea and fatigue.
In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the Emmy-Award winning entertainment veteran explained what exactly makes his charitable efforts worth it.
"One of the pleasures of the foundation is hanging out with the people because they are some of the nicest people in my life," he said. He also went on to say that giving back is not an "obligation," but rather something he enjoys.