Forbes has compiled a ranking of the most generous billionaires. And it turned out that only half of the 12 largest American billionaires really deserve the title of philanthropist.
Some famous names were not included in the list because of extremely modest donations:
– Elon Musk – donated just 0.06% of his $780 billion fortune;
– Larry Page (co-founder of Google) – 0.03% of his $270 billion fortune;
– Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle) – about $1 billion of his $241 billion over his lifetime.
A benchmark of generosity
At the same time, a number of entrepreneurs give huge sums to charity, sometimes up to 40% of their fortune, Forbes writes.
- Jeff and Lauren Bezos: fortune $250 billion, donations $4.7 billion.
The Amazon founder and his wife actively invest in environmental initiatives and social programs. The main flow of funds goes through Bezos Earth Fund, which by 2030 plans to invest $10 billion to fight climate change. They also fund free kindergartens and help low-income families through the Day 1 Families Fund.
- Sergey Brin: fortune $249 billion, donations $5 billion (2%).
The Google co-founder supports research into Parkinson’s disease, autism and bipolar disorder. He also founded Catalyst4 and the Sergey Brin Family Foundation.
- Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan: fortune $213 billion, donations $6.1 billion (3%).
The couple funds projects in biology and AI, education and local communities. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative actively supports medical research and disease prevention.
- Steve and Connie Ballmer: fortune $141 billion, donations $6.5 billion (4%).
The former Microsoft CEO and his wife help low-income families, schools and medical facilities, and disaster victims through the Ballmer Group.
- Meryl Simons: fortune $32.6 billion, donations $10.3 billion (24%).
Jim Simons’ widow directs funds to basic scientific research, neuroscience, and environmental projects through the Simons Foundation.
- George Soros: fortune $7.5 billion, endowments $24 billion (76%!).
The 95-year-old investor has dedicated his life to supporting human rights, democracy, and social justice through Open Society Foundations. In 2024, he has directed $1 billion to human rights projects alone.
- Michael Bloomberg: $109 billion fortune, $25.4 billion in donations (19%).
The former mayor of New York City funds education, health care and climate change through Bloomberg Philanthropies.
- McKenzie Scott: fortune $30.9 billion, donations $26.4 billion.
After her divorce from Jeff Bezos, McKenzie donated 75% of Amazon’s stock and has supported more than 2,500 organizations focused on equality, education, and climate initiatives.
- Bill and Melinda Gates: Bill’s fortune $107 billion, donations $52.6 billion (28%).
Through the Gates Foundation, the couple has invested billions in global health and development. Melinda has also given $540 million to women’s initiatives through Pivotal Ventures.
- Warren Buffett: fortune $146 billion, endowments $68 billion (32%).
The 95-year-old investor is considered one of the most generous philanthropists in history. He has directed funds to healthcare, poverty alleviation and plans to donate more than 99% of his fortune to charitable causes.
Together, these 10 billionaires have donated $34 billion in the last year and $275 billion over their lifetime – representing about 14% of their combined wealth.
