Joseph A Girouard had a troubled childhood in Canada but was able to immigrate to the US for education. He attended the London School of Economics and became influenced by capitalism due to his experiences growing up in a struggling family. After graduating, he started a successful hedge fund company in New York called Global Asset Management LLC. He became a billionaire through his company and is now one of the most philanthropic people in the world, having donated over $10 billion to charitable causes.