Billionaire businessman Graham Tuckwell says he would never be in charge of a global financial empire, were it not for the sound educational grounding he received at Turner Primary School.
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So on Friday he paid a visit.
The notoriously private commodities trader - whose name hit the headlines last year when he and his wife Louise donated $50 million to the Australian National University to set up an Australian version of the Rhodes Scholarship - is spending a few days in Canberra.
He returned to the "nice solid school" he fondly remembers attending in the 1960s.
In a particularly "Canberra" twist, the school's principal, Jo Padgham, was one of Mr Tuckwell's school friends, and her father Max Badham was Mr Tuckwell's principal.
"You know I always thought he was going to be an international golfer rather than an international financier," Ms Padgham said.
Mr Tuckwell won the economics prize at Canberra High before going on to complete an economics and law degree at the ANU.
Ms Padgham described as brilliant the Tuckwells' decision to donate a huge chunk of their personal fortune for the benefit of future generations.
"I particularly love the fact that he has publicly recognised the important role his own great education in a government school played in his success," she said.
School captains Bridget Darby and Jarrah Palethorpe were admittedly a little nonplussed in understanding the enormity of Mr Tuckwell's impact on the financial markets - he pioneered electronically traded funds and exchange traded commodities as a way of buying and selling securities.
But they recognised immediately the enormity of a $50 million donation to the neighbouring university where either of them might end up one day.
"$50 million? Whoa," Jarrah said.
Meanwhile, Mr Tuckwell shared with students memories of his primary school years - including a predilection for school milk - and was delighted to see his old class photos and admission form, now laminated by his proud primary school.
Then it was off to Parliament House for a visit with Prime Minister Tony Abbott who thanked Mr Tuckwell for his generosity and vision and met each of the inaugural intake of Tuckwell Scholars.
Twenty-five students have been personally picked by Graham and Louise for the five-year scholarships worth $100,000 each.
Mrs Tuckwell, who personally read the nearly 700 applications, said it had been an overwhelming process narrowing down the application pool to 25.
"There were so many talented and worthy students to choose from, it really was a very difficult decision," she said.
The scholars, who were chosen for strong personal characteristics as well as academic talent, begin their degrees this week.
The parents of four said Mr Tuckwell was scaling back his international commitments in order to provide personal input into the program - including a yearly visit to Canberra to help vet each new intake.
"Cecil Rhodes never got to see his scholars, but I want to help shape these students and see results. This thing has sort of taken over our lives, but in a good way.''
He said his 103 company staff supported his personal donation.
"The feedback from my staff has been great,'' he said. ''They see the reason for driving business forward is not purely about money, it is about something bigger than money. It is about making an impact and about the future."
