TAMPA, FL – Ben Meng was just less than one minute away from being the winning bidder of the Warren Buffett charity auction lunch on June 17th which benefited the San Francisco-based non-profit GLIDE which addresses homelessness, racial and social justice issues.
With a philanthropic mindset, especially after recognizing the majority of his family migrated to Tampa, FL from Asia, the chord was struck to “give back” and enjoy a private lunch with the ultimate business magnate and philanthropist, Warren Buffett. The bidding started in the early morning hours and ended at 7:30pm. After taking the bidding momentum from $3M to $13M, Meng made his bid at $19M but was less than one minute away when the auction closed at $19.1M.
“I was just about to bid $20 Million at last 5 seconds and then the auction closed,” says President of iGas USA, Ben Meng. When I first heard about the auction it was Warren Buffett’s name that caught my immediate attention. I thought it would be an honor to meet him, but it really hit close to home when I learned that the charity benefited those who are in need living in the City of San Francisco. This was a city I really love and visited many times, when I first arrived into the United States.”
Originally from Nanjing, China, at age 24, Meng arrived into Logan, UT with his family from Asia in 1996.
“It would be a great tradition if Warren Buffett would continue to participate in this auction every year. Either way, we will participate in this auction again and hope he does this again next year. This process has opened my eyes to giving back in a whole new way.” Meng said.
The experience of working to give back has shed a new light on giving for Meng. He’s considering setting up a charity platform for other social issues happing in front of us today such as reduce gun violence which is something he is deeply concerned about.
“Everyone should have a chance to embrace the opportunities and freedoms of the United States,” says Meng.
About iGas USA:
iGas USA, Inc.offers a full range of refrigerants. Each day the company strives to design creative, safe and high quality products that will: assist in lowering your cost of business, make daily work requirements easier, faster and more economical and improve working conditions and the environment. For more information, visit www.iGasUSA.com
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