[b]Billionaire convert pursues Franciscan poverty[/b] Rome, Mar. 2, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Fred Nassiri, an Iranian-American music producer and convert to Catholicism, met on March 1 with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone (bio - news), the Vatican Secretary of State. Nassiri, who was raised in Iran but moved to the US, made a large fortune in a designer-clothing and music production business based in Las Vegas before converting to the Catholic faith. He has spent months traveling the world, on his own “peace tour,” and now says that he wants to leave his entire fortune to the poor in order to become a Franciscan. “I bring to the Vatican a testimony of faith and a devotion to the Franciscan cause,” Nassiri said of his meeting with the Secretary of State. “All of my wealth is destined to the poor.” Explaining his new approach to life, the entrepreneur remarked: “Who has many resources, has many duties towards his neighbor.” http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=49606 "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." ".... and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." [b]Who would be ready to do such a thing?[/b]

I just came across this looking for an old thread. I dunno how I missed it originally, but it's a good enough story, I thought I'd bring it back.