The perils of a generous heart

Women admire generosity in men, right up to the point that it negatively affects their own lives:

A multi-millionaire who gave away £16million to help cancer patients after his wife survived the disease has ended up losing his home, possessions and even his spouse.

Brian Burnie, who owns a recruitment business, paid for his wife Shirley's treatment when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and became so inspired he devoted his life to helping other sufferers.

But after selling the family home, cars and possessions, the couple have divorced as Mrs Burnie reveals she could no longer put up with her husband's generosity.

Shirley and Brian Burnie divorced in 2012 after the 70-year-old businessman sold their 10-acre estate and all of their belongings when his wife was given the all-clear from breast cancer

Speaking for the first time since their 2012 split, Mrs Burnie told the Sunday Mirror: 'I didn't want to give everything away. I wanted security for us and our family.'

There are few things I find as annoying as women's charity with the money their husbands make. The fact that it is a form of conspicuous consumption rather than genuine charity couldn't be more obvious when it comes to their reluctance to doing the same with the money they earn themselves, or the money that they thought was going to provide them security.

You can't really blame the woman for not being happy with her husband giving away his wealth, on the other hand, it underlines that while he may have signed up for the "sickness or in health", she didn't sign up for "poverty or in wealth".

Posted in: Marriage