The son of billionaire Warren Buffett is helping a rural Illinois city halt its declining population.
The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has contributed $55.1 million to Decatur and its surrounding Macon County over the past two decades with dozens of grants, including those paying for a new lakefront amphitheater and a law enforcement training facility, aiming to help make the area a better place to live.
Sixty-two-year-old Howard Buffett, who moved to Decatur in 1992, says he requires accountability for the money donated to the city and wants to see results.
In 2016, Buffet's foundation helped Decatur cover nearly $169,000 it owed the state.
Buffet says while he plans to eventually return to his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, his foundation will stay and continue to assist Decatur.
