Bill Cummings: Starting Small and Making It Big, in Real Estate and Then Philanthropy

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Bill Cummings started with nothing and built a real estate empire that's "second to none," says the MIT Corporation's Deshpande Foundation in a glowing profile of the Massachusetts billionaire and his wife, Joyce.

"The better thing he and his wife Joyce did was to put the newfound wealth to good use," says Deshpande, who calls the couple "a source of inspiration for all of us and Massachusetts is lucky to count them as their distinguished and most important couple."

In fact, Bill and Joyce are "easily the most philanthropic couple in Massachusetts and have had a profound impact on hundreds of organizations," Deshpande writes in the profile, which was published by the Boston Real Estate Times.

Bill and Joyce are the first Massachusetts couple to join the Giving Pledge, an international philanthropic organization founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

They also established New Horizons, not-for-profit assisted and independent living communities in Woburn and Marlborough.

The Cummings have gradually donated these buildings to the Cummings Foundation since its establishment, with all net income from all the firm's real estate going directly to the Foundation.

In a statement, Cummings says he's "delighted to accept this generous honor on behalf of so many great colleagues and client firms who have contributed to

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