(Bloomberg) -- Andrew Forrest, who made his fortune through iron-ore mining, plans to use part of his charity commitments to sue tobacco companies for killing smokers, the Australian reported.
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The Australian billionaire, through his Minderoo Foundation, is seeking legal advice on whether it is feasible to take action similar to a landmark Canadian case that saw a judge order three tobacco companies to pay A$15.6 billion ($12.2 billion) in damages to more than a million smokers, the newspaper reported, citing an interview with Forrest.
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Forrest has pledged A$400 million for charity, including about A$75 million for eliminating cancer. The billionaire says tobacco is the basis for 30 percent of all cancers, according to the Australian.