Singer George Michael was phenomenally successful. First with Wham!, then as a solo act, he achieved heady popularity. The handsome, fan-favorite pop star, who died on Christmas Day in 2016, would have turned 63 on June 25, 2026. You may think you know everything about him, but a new revelation casts Michael as a remarkably generous person. Per Fox Digital News, "George Michael secretly gave away millions — and didn't want anyone to know."
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Sathnam Sanghera is the author of a new book about the artist, Tonight the Music Seems So Loud. (The title is a lyric from the song, "Careless Whisper.") He disclosed to the outlet, "We will never know how much George Michael gave away because it was secret." Sanghera added, "He died with a net worth of around 97 million pounds (more than $128 million), but I suspect a lot of that money is still being given away by his estate. The estate releases annual statements about the donations it has made. So his good work continues."
George Michael Was a Philanthropist Who Sought No Publicity
According to the book, the singer supported many causes and charities. Among them were organizations helping "disabled children, cancer research, refugees and AIDS-related causes, just to name a few," per the outlet. Michael apparently wanted no public ballyhooing for his immense kindness.
Sanghera noted, "George Michael was an incredible secret philanthropist, and the secrecy is what made it great. We're only just finding out some of his charitable acts. For example, he gave away the first few years of royalties from 'Last Christmas,' one of the most successful pop songs of all time, to Band Aid, a U.K. charity aimed at combating hunger and poverty."
The author continued, "He gave away the U.K. royalties from his 'Best Of' album in the 1990s. There are so many charities and individuals who have come forward to say, 'He secretly paid for my IVF when he heard about my story on TV,' for example."
He Sometimes Helped Out in Person
George Michael would occasionally show up in person, incognito, and pitch in. For example, per the outlet, he would appear at a London homeless shelter sometimes. Michael would mingle with the people there, patiently serve food, and be a sympathetic ear. He reportedly laughed when anyone observed that he looked like George Michael.
