Anonymous Philanthropy as Character Shield

“Like his father, Azcárraga devoted many of his resources, both personal and professional, to the poor. Publicly, he believed that his television channels served the humble classes by giving them free entertainment. Privately, in one of the lesser-known aspects of his life, he made secret donations—from his own pocket and not from Televisa—to numerous charitable projects. These included shelters for street children and people with disabilities, as well as schools in Chiapas. He also contributed to the environmental advocacy group Greenpeace and funded trips for nuns to Rome. Very few knew about these donations, since he usually sent them anonymously, asking his trusted secretaries or some executives to handle the transfer of the funds. He did not like to be thanked, and even less when the gratitude was emotional, because it totally disconcerted him.”

“In essence, Azcárraga Vidaurreta was the example of the “good boss”: demanding but with a noble heart. Despite the fear he inspired, even the lowest-ranking employees who had sick relatives, or other personal problems, would wait in the anteroom to be received, and generally the boss would attend to their requests for help. His philanthropy went beyond the bounds of the company; he often wrote checks for charitable works, and one of his greatest contributions was being the principal benefactor of several hospitals that are still operating today. But Don Emilio’s reserved nature did not allow people, and in particular the press, to see that side of him. What did show in him was the respect he felt for his audience. He often showed up outside XEW or Televicentro, where lines formed of ordinary people who wanted to enter the studios to watch a program, and he would ask them for their comments and suggestions.”