He worked 100-hour weeks to save a nearly bankrupt boat company. At 83, he’s just turned down $400 million for it—and gave it all to charity instead

Eddie Smith Jr. transformed Grady-White Boats from a near-bankrupt company into a multimillion-dollar business over 58 years, working 100-hour weeks and sacrificing personal time. At 83, he rejected a $400 million offer for the company and donated its future profits to charity via a trust and nonprofit structure inspired by Patagonia's founder Yvon Chouinard.