Ralph Roberts puts his to work dabbling in restoring an old farmhouse. Dennis Alter, worried that he might not follow through with his altruistic urges, has deliberately set aside a portion to give to charity. Over the last several years, enormous fortunes have been amassed by executives as the economy stayed healthy, corporate profits increased, the stock market boomed, and executive stock options matured. What the corporate elite does with all of that wealth varies.
Some executives have simply let the money grow.
Others have attempted to build new businesses, or have invested in promising companies. Hobbies, such as art collecting and yachting, are popular. And a substantial portion of fortunes has gone to charity - in outright gifts or to capitalize charitable trusts. Depending on how the charitable trust is structured, the money might not be donated for good causes for many years, experts said. The only thing is, there's more money around now.