10 Philanthropists Who Have Given Away Billions to Charity.
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Forbes listed the billionaires and philanthropists who have pledged at least 1 billion of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Here are the top 10 philanthropists in the world:
1. Bill Gates
Donations: $28 billion. Net worth: $72.9 billion as of March 2013
Co-founder and Chairman of Microsoft William Henry "Bill" Gates III have ranked among Forbes World’s richest several times in the last 20 years. As of March 2013 Gates ranked 2nd in the Forbes richest with net worth of $72.9 billion. Part of the billionaire’s wealth has been given to charity for global health and development.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the largest charitable foundation in the world has been a blessing to the less fortunate globally. The offices operating in Washington, D.C, Europe, Africa, India and China aimed to help every person get the chance to live a healthy, productive life. Gates and Buffet pioneered The Giving Pledge campaign which encourages the richest to give half of their wealth to good causes.
2. Warren Buffett
Donations: $17.25 billion. Net worth: $53.5 billion as of March 2013
Warren Buffet has consistently ranked as one of the wealthiest and most influential people in the world. Fourth on the Forbes list as of March 2013. One of the world’s richest persons and a well known philanthropist. A co-founder of the Giving Pledge who encouraged the wealthiest people in the world to give their wealth to philanthropic causes. A good friend to the Gates and a co –trustee in the Gates Foundation. Buffet has donated most of his wealth to Charitable Foundations.
3. George Soros
Donations: $8.5 billion. Net worth: $19.2 billion as of March 2013
Hungarian-American billionaire, ranked 2nd in Forbes World’s Richest Hedge Fund Managers & Traders. Known as "the man who broke the Bank of England". Soros founded the Open Society Foundations, which is active in over 70 countries to promote democracy and human rights. For the last 3 decades Soros has donated over $8 billion to various causes to improve the lives of the less privileged people through human rights, public health, and education.
4. Gordon Moore
Donations: $5 billion . Net worth: $4.1 billion as of March 2013
Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of Intel Corp, has donated over approximately $5 billion to Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. A foundation dedicated to advancing environmental conservation, scientific research, and patient care. Gordon and wife Betty have pledged to give at least half of their net worth to charity.
5. Carlos Slim Helu
Donations: $4 billion. Net worth: $73 billion as of March 2013
Telecom Mogul Carlos Slim was top of the billionaires list as of March 2013 with net worth of $73 billion. He has been number one for four years in a row. Slim ventured into various fields of business including telecom, banking and mining among many others. He gave away $4 billion to the Fundación Carlos Slim which aims to promote better education, improve health, justice, personal and community development to the Mexican community.
6. Eli Broad
Donations: $3.5 billion. Net worth: $6.3 billion as of March 2013
American Philanthropist and founder of Sun America Inc. and KB Home. Eli Broad have been focusing on charitable causes. A member of the Giving Pledge and founder of The Broad Foundations, have devoted his life to help the poor. His donations have helped build stem cell research centers at USC and the stem cell program UCSF at UCLA.
7. George Kaiser
Donations: $3.3 billion. Net worth: $10 billion as of March 2013
Oil and gas billionaire was listed third in 2008’s 50 American philanthropists on Business Week. Kaiser has donated to The George Kaiser Family Foundation over $3 billion to support causes to eliminate childhood poverty in Oklahoma. In 2010 He signed up for the Giving Pledge a commitment to give away 50 percent of his wealth to philanthropic causes joining other wealthiest personalities like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet.
8. Michael Bloomberg
Donations: $2.8 billion. Net worth: $27 billion as of March 2013
Self-made billionaire and current New York City Mayor ranked 13th richest in the world this year. Bloomberg a known social liberal, who is pro-choice, and supports legalizing same-sex marriage, abortion rights or reproductive choice and stricter gun control laws. An advocate of public health, the arts, government innovation, the environment, and education. Bloomberg has pledged to more than 800 charities. He has donated to his foundation over $10 million since 2005-2011. He was reportedly donating anonymously to various foundations since 2001 to 2010 ranging from $5 million to $20 million per year.
9. Azim Premji
Donations: $2.1 billion. Net worth: $11.2 billion as of March 2013
Azim Premji is an Indian Philanthropist, business mogul known as India’s Bill Gates, has donated most of his wealth to charity. He is the chairman of Wipro Limited an IT consulting and outsourcing company with more than 100,000 employees across North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and India. Premji founded the Azim Premji Foundation in 2011 with vision to facilitate a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. In 2010 he donated $2 billion to improving schools in his country. The first Indian to sign up for The Giving Pledge and has already pledged more than 25 per cent of his wealth to the far less privileged as of April 2013.
10. James Stowers
Donations: $2 billion. Net worth: $100 million as of 2012
A physician by profession, Jim Stowers joined the business world and founded a mutual fund company, named American Century Investments. Stowers was not listed as one of the richest but have managed to give part of his wealth to a good cause. Jim and wife Virginia were both cancer survivors and desired to use their wealth to give hope to humanity through science and medical research. The couple founded the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and have given away $2 billion to the institute. Its mission is “To contribute to humanity through medical research by expanding understanding of the secrets of life, and by improving life’s quality through innovative approaches to the causes, treatment and prevention of disease”.
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