"I am a lucky man..."

Sir Edmund Hillary, shown here with his climbing partner, Tenzing Norgay, passed away this week at his home in Auckland, New Zealand. He was 88.

Hillary and Norgay were the first to scale the 29,036-foot summit of Mount Everest, the world's largest peak. At the top, Hillary left a crucifix on behalf of the expedition leader and Norgay, a Buddhist, buried biscuits and chocolates as an offering to the gods of Everest. Queen Elizabeth II appointed Hillary a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Norgay was awarded the George Medal of Britain.

Later, Hillary travelled to the North and South Poles, becoming the first person to ever visit the highest peak and both ends of the Earth. In an interview, Hillary once remarked, "I am a lucky man. I had a dream and it has come true, and that is not a thing that happens often to men."

As his long life of accomplishment progressed, Hillary needed less and gave away even more. He preferred to be called Ed rather than Sir Edmund. For many years after the Everest expedition, he listed his occupation as beekeeper. And not until long after Norgay's death did Hillary reveal that he was the first to reach the summit. While both men were alive, Hillary would state that he and Norgay were a team and reached the summit together.

Sir Edmund created the Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Trust and raised millions for schools, clinics and other infrastructure projects for Sherpa villages in Nepal. He was also the president of the New Zealand Peace Corps. For a complete obituary, visit the New York Times website. link

Hillary's life is in sharp contrast to the life of another man frequently in the news these days -- Angelo Mozilo, the founder and CEO of Countrywide Financial, the embattled sub-prime mortgage lender. Unlike Sir Edmund, Mozilo wants more for himself even as he accomplishes less. In an earlier post, I commented on the hundreds of millions Mozilo has earned, even as his company has slipped into near bankruptcy. link

Now, Bank of America is set to acquire Countrywide for $4 billion after having already infused the company with $2 billion in emergency funding. Following the acquisition, Mr. Mozilo's exit package is estimated to be more than $70 million before considering perks such as country club memberships and the use of private aircraft.

With all of this money, Mozilo could easily afford to create the Mozilo Homeowners Trust to assist mortgagees in default. A two hundred million donation to fund the trust would still leave Mozilo with plenty of cash to lead a life of luxury.

But don't hold your breadth for Mr. Mozilo to follow Hillary's lead. So far, he has not been seen anywhere near Good Karma base camp.