Finance Firm Gives $16M Revenue to Charity in Single Day

When Jamie Redknapp closed a multimillion pound deal at a London trading desk, every penny of the commission went straight to charity.

The former footballer was one of 50 celebrities helping BGC Group run its annual Charity Day on September 11th. From Helen Mirren to Tom Hardy, famous faces spent the day closing deals knowing that 100% of the firm's revenue would go to good causes.

This year alone, BGC raised $16 million for charities worldwide. Since starting in 2005, they've given away $250 million.

The tradition was born from tragedy. In 2001, BGC's parent company Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees in the 9/11 attacks, more than any other organization. Sean Windeatt, now BGC's Co-CEO, was 28 and working in the London office when his morning call to New York suddenly went dead.

After helping save the company, the surviving team pledged 25% of profits to a relief fund for victims' families. Once those families were supported, they launched the annual Charity Day, giving away an entire day's revenue every September 11th.

The Ripple Effect

For charities like HvH Arts, BGC's donation makes up a third of their annual budget. The London charity has tripled the number of children it helps since 2019, providing arts access to kids from low-income families.

Twelve-year-old Carmela Chillery-Watson has muscular dystrophy affecting her heart and liver. Money from days like this helped fund her custom wheelchair, not covered by the NHS. "I use it every day," she says simply.

Her mum Lucy wishes more companies followed suit. "A lot of businesses make an awful lot of profit. They could do so much good."

She's onto something. Only 27% of UK businesses support charities, and FTSE 100 charitable giving has halved since 2009 as a percentage of profits.

Windeatt acknowledges these are challenging times for business. "But the challenges are far greater for charities," he points out. "When household budgets are squeezed and the public can't give what they used to, business has a role to play."

Comedian Leigh Francis closed a $10 billion trade during the day. "I've never seen so much money raised in one day for a charity event," he said.

Twenty-five years after losing colleagues and friends, BGC has transformed tragedy into a day of purpose that changes thousands of lives each year.