en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst
1 correction found
His will established two charitable trusts, the Hearst Foundation and the William Randolph Hearst Foundation.
These foundations were already in existence during Hearst's lifetime, not first created by his will. Records show the Hearst Foundation was tax-exempt from 1946 and the William Randolph Hearst Foundation from 1949.
Full reasoning
This claim is contradicted by foundation records showing that both organizations existed before Hearst died in 1951.
- ProPublica's IRS-based Nonprofit Explorer lists Hearst Foundation Inc as "Tax-exempt since July 1946."
- The same IRS-based database lists the William Randolph Hearst Foundation as "Tax-exempt since April 1949."
- An official description from the Hearst Journalism Awards Program adds that the William Randolph Hearst Foundation "was established by its namesake ... in 1948".
Because both foundations were already operating in the 1940s, they were not established by Hearst's will after his death. At most, his will may have governed or funded them further, but it did not create them from scratch.
3 sources
- Hearst Foundation Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica
Hearst Foundation Inc ... Tax-exempt since July 1946.
- William Randolph Hearst Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica
William Randolph Hearst Foundation ... Tax-exempt since April 1949.
- General Information - Hearst Journalism Awards Program
The William Randolph Hearst Foundation was established by its namesake, publisher William Randolph Hearst, in 1948 under California non-profit laws, exclusively for educational and charitable purposes.