Tom White, a leading Boston builder who donated more than $75-million over his lifetime and helped launch the global medical charity Partners in Health, died Friday at age 90, The Boston Globe reports.

Mr. White made his fortune building a family construction firm into a Boston business powerhouse. He contributed to dozens of charities and was known for carrying a wad of cash in his pocket to give away to needy people he met.

Partners in Health, which he co-founded in 1987, is credited with blazing a trail for global health charities addressing medical emergencies and outbreaks of AIDS, tuberculosis, and other diseases in the developing world.

“He listened to people’s stories and in many ways reacted physically to other people’s suffering,’’ said Ophelia Dahl, the charity’s executive director. “He couldn’t bear it.’’