Billionaire David Murdock converted a North Carolina textile mill into a research campus studying nutrition and longevity. Researcher Slavko Komarnitsky is testing a native plant that may treat antibiotic-resistant MRSA and diabetes. Murdock, who was homeless before becoming a multimillionaire at 25, believes food and diet drive health and longevity.
Imagine no limits. One of the richest men in the world had the creative vision to see a former textile mill as a world-class biological research center, a showplace housing research into longevity and an end to disease. Billionaire David Murdock had the creative vision.
I've been reasonably financially successful. And a lot of people leave behind and give to different places their money. I thought, why in the hell don't I spend some of my own money for creating something good for mankind?
Good for Mankind is a nutrition think tank with researchers from private companies, including Murdock's own Dole Foods, and 8 universities so far.
We know it kills MRSA.
Researcher Slavko Komarnitsky of NC State University might have found a native North Carolina plant that can treat MRSA, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He is also working on a cure for diabetes. Murdock emphatically believes food and diet are the secret to longevity and the cause of most disease.
Success is a habit. Most people have bad habits. 20%, I think, of the people in the United States smoke cigarettes even though they know they're gonna kill them. We control our own lives, but most people don't know how. Everybody learns how to get themselves dressed whatever way they happen to like it. Because they know they got to cover themselves up, but when it comes to eating, they put anything in their stomach.
The mural in the core lab pays homage to Murdaugh's diet. He eats no saturated fat, red meat, or dairy, loading up on fruits, vegetables, protein. And there was a time When he was hungry.
I worked from 14 till I was 18 when I went into the Army. And I was sleeping under a bush in the park, and I got chased twice by the police. They said, we don't allow bums here. I was sleeping. I went 5 days without eating, sleeping under a bush in the park, and I was 22. I was a multimillionaire when I was 25, 3 years later.
Looking at the Grand Regency architecture, it's easy to believe Murdock's first fortune came from residential and commercial development.
Well, I think we are motivated by our surroundings, aren't we? Knowledge is power. Shakespeare said, get thee knowledge.
Knowledge at the North Carolina Research Campus for years to come. The pure result of David Murdock's vision.
