Indianapolis’ secret millionaire! Veteran charity worker who lived ‘unbelievably’ frugal life and didn’t even own a cell ‘because it cost too much’ leaves $13M to charities – but some missed out because they thought it was a scam!

A very thrifty man left a whopping $13 million to local charities after his death, but some organizations missed out on millions thinking it was a scam.

Terry Kahn worked for the Veterans Administration for 30 years and died quietly in 2021 – without any announcement or obituary because they were too expensive.

The modest Indianapolis man left behind no immediate family—in his will, he said only that he would donate his money to “charity,” but did not specify which one.

Kahn’s lawyer, Dwayne Isaacs, was given the unique job of calling local charities and casually offering them millions of dollars.

While some charities were overwhelmed by the kindness, others were wary of the remarkable offer: “Probably three or four different organizations lost out because they just didn’t answer my call,” Isaacs said. CBS News.

Terry Kahn worked for the Veterans Administration for 30 years and died quietly in 2021 – without any announcement or obituary because they were too expensive.

Kahn’s lawyer Dwayne Isaacs had a unique job: calling local charities and casually offering them millions of dollars.

The modest Indianapolis man left no immediate family behind—in his will, he only said to donate his money to “charity,” but did not specify which one.

While some charities were overwhelmed by the kindness, others were wary of the remarkable offer: “Probably three or four different organizations lost out because they just didn’t answer my call,” Isaacs said.

Margaret Sheehan, CEO of Teachers’ Treasure, said: “It was an act of amazing kindness to which I responded, ‘I need to sit down.'”

Kahn made his millions by clutching his pennies. He lived in a modest house on the south side of Indianapolis and drove an old Honda.

According to him, the secret millionaire refused to carry a mobile phone with him because it was too expensive.

His money-saving techniques paid off in the long run, as he made a huge impact on the dozen nonprofits that had to share his $13 million estate.

One of the charities was Teachers’ Treasure, a free store in Indianapolis where teachers could go to buy school supplies.

Margaret Sheehan, CEO of Teachers’ Treasure, said: “It was an act of amazing kindness to which I responded, ‘I need to sit down.’

Sheehan said Isaacs called at the right time because the group was discussing how to grow the company.

She remembers initially thinking, “Is this a scam?” and then: “What if it’s not so?”

When Emmy Hildebrand, CEO of the Indiana Veterans and Families Assistance Group, answered the phone, Isaacs asked, “What would you do with $1 million?”

Julie Henson, vice president of development for Coburn Place, a nonprofit that provides support and housing for victims of domestic violence, said that when the group answered the call, they were “hovering over our own bodies, thinking, like, is this real?”

His money-saving techniques paid off in the long run because he made a huge impact on the dozen nonprofits that had to share his $13 million estate.

Kahn made his millions by clutching his pennies. He lived in a modest house on the south side of Indianapolis and drove an old Honda.

Teachers’ Treasures CEO Sheehan said Isaacs called at the right time because the group was discussing how to grow the company.

Isaacs said Kahn requested a “simple bequest” but emphasized that he did not want to give money to his alma mater, the University of Southern California, because they have enough money.

Julie Henson, vice president of development for Coburn Place, a nonprofit that provides support and housing for victims of domestic violence, said that when the group answered the call, they were “hovering over our own bodies, thinking, like, is this real?”

Isaacs, who had the same reaction across all twelve nonprofits, said, “He’s smiling somewhere, there’s no doubt about it.” He would have enjoyed it.

Isaacs met Kahn in the mid-1990s while working with the Greater Indianapolis Health Foundation, a grant-making organization created in 1985 with proceeds from the sale of Metro Health.

The couple began meeting every month for 10 years to have lunch. During this time, Kahn began sharing details of his life, revealing that his parents fled Nazi Germany and settled in the United States.

Kahn and his sister grew up in Tucson, and he later attended the University of Southern California, where he earned degrees in psychology and government while playing tennis.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served three years in Vietnam before settling in the middle-class Indianapolis area in 1976.

The charity man never married or had children; his sister died at the age of 40, leaving behind a son and daughter, with whom Kahn separated for unknown reasons.

Isaacs said Kahn requested a “simple bequest” but emphasized that he did not want to give money to his alma mater, the University of Southern California, because they have enough money.

Kahn insisted he didn’t care which charities his money went to and left the final decision to Isaacs.