Leon Levy, an American financier who died on April 6th, aged 77, was a similar benefactor.

ECONOMIST: Leonard Tose, a big spender, died on April 15th, aged 88

For the greater part of the past half-century Wall Street financier Leon Levy has been an optimist.

FORBES: Self-Employment

Levy gave away a small fortune in his lifetime, and his widow, Shelby White, through the Leon Levy Foundation continues to be extraordinarily generous, supporting many cultural and artistic enterprises.

FORBES: Soros Vs. Levy Vs. Buffett

None of this is as irrational as the run-up in technology stocks in the late 1990s, when shrewd investors like Leon Levy dared go short and ride the turmoil to profits.

FORBES: Everybody is Furiously Looking for Bubbles