Donations showcase the act of generosity that is made by individuals and organizations, where they give a large sum of money to support or help several important causes of the world such as education, poverty, healthcare, environment, and many more. These donations are often in millions and billions and are made to make a big difference in the world and improve the lives of people. So, in this article, we will talk about the biggest donations made around the world by some of the wealthiest people.
Bill Gates And Melinda Gates Have Donated Approximately $79 Billion
The American businessman, Bill Gates is also a well-known philanthropist. Around the world, he is also known for co-founding Microsoft. When he was working at Microsoft, he held various positions including the CEO, Chief Software Architect, and many more. Apart from this, Gates is a popular philanthropist who donates millions of dollars to great causes. Along with him, his wife Melinda Gates is also popular for donating to charitable organizations. Currently, they have donated $79 Billion to improve education, healthcare, poverty, and information technology. According to their foundation’s fact sheet, until the end of the 4th quarter in 2023, they have distributed a total of $77.6 billion in grants.
Around $57 Billion Have Been Donated By Warren Buffett
The next wealthy man who has earned his spot on the list of biggest donations in the world is Warren Buffett. He is a businessman from America who also works as an investor and philanthropist. Buffett is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, who makes really investments around the world. The businessman has a huge net worth out of which 99% he has pledged to give to major philanthropic causes, by way of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As of now, the total charitable contributions of Warren Buffett are about $57 Billion and they are mainly to education, healthcare, sanitation, and the prevention of AIDS. In June 2024, he donated $5.3 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway shares to five different charitable organizations. These are the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and NoVo Foundation.
George Soros Has Given Out Approximately $32 Billion
He is a popular businessman who is popular around the world for his philanthropic activities. Soros is also a well-known investor who has a massive net worth. Though he was born in Hungary but now, he resides in the big city of New York. In the past, Forbes has also regarded him as one of the most generous givers in the world. As of now, the wealthy man has donated more than $32 billion to various causes such as healthcare, human rights, social, economic, and legal reforms, and anti-fascist publications. In 2021, the nonprofit organization of Soros quietly gave $140 million to ballot initiatives and advocacy organizations. Also, most recently, a nonprofit organization handled by Soros gave out $60 million to Democracy PAC. It is a political action committee that spends money to support political causes.
MacKenzie Scott Is The Another Generous Giver In The World
She is the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos who is popular around the world for being a novelist and philanthropist. When she got divorced from her husband, she became the 3rd richest woman in the United States of America. The Testing of Luther Albright and Traps are two of her famous novels. Apart from this, Scott is known for donating millions of dollars to racial equality, functional democracy, climate change, and LGBTQ+ equality. As of now, she has donated over $17.3 billion to many charitable organizations. In March 2024, she gave around $640 million to around 360 NGOs. Mainly, Scott donates money to those organizations that provide their support to people in underserved communities.
Michael Bloomberg Is A Great Philanthropist
Another individual who is known for his charitable donations around the world is Michael Bloomberg. He is a businessman from America who co-owns Bloomberg L.P. Apart from this, he also works as a politician who from 2002 to 2013, served as the mayor of New York City. Also, he was a presidential candidate for the 2020 Democratic elections. According to Bloomberg Philanthropies, the generous giver has donated approximately $17.4 billion to improve the environment, arts, public health, education, and government innovation. Recently, Michael Bloomberg gave approximately $600 Million to four historically Black medical schools. The announcement was made at the annual convention of the National Medical Association. This organization mainly protects the rights and interests of African American physicians.
Around $10.7 Billion Has Been Given By Li Ka-Shing For Healthcare And Education
Li Ka-Shing is a famous investor and business magnate from Hong Kong who is also the senior advisor for CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings. Around the world, he is known for investing in various industries such as energy, retail, transportation, real estate, and financial services. Though Li Ka-Shing is a very wealthy man but is known for living a simple and modest life because he doesn’t indulge in luxuries. As of now, he has given around $10.7 billion, majorly to healthcare and education. In March 2024, he donated HK$120 million to Stanford University to show his support for the research of immune-related and genetic neurological diseases. Also, during the time of COVID-19, the Li Ka-Shing Foundation has donated above HK$70 million to hospitals and NGOs. Also, he has made donations to local universities and the Hong Kong Kidney Foundation.
Andrew Carnegie Gave Away Millions During His Lifetime
Andrew Carnegie was a popular industrialist who was born in Scotland but later resided in America. During the late 1800s, he played an important role in growing the American steel industry and this majorly helped him in becoming one of the richest people in American history. Apart from this, he was a great philanthropist during his lifetime who donated around 90% of his wealth to universities, foundations, and charitable organizations. Around $9.5 billion had been donated by Andrew Carnegie, majorly for the purposes of peace, education, and libraries. He has founded 2509 libraries and has spent more than $55 million solely on them. By the time of his death, he was able to donate $350 million which went into the endowment of the Carnegie Corporation.
Elon Musk Has Gave Billions For Education, Renewable Energy and Covid-19 Relief
SpaceX and Tesla Inc have made Elon Musk one of the greatest men in the world. He is a popular businessman who apart from Tesla and SpaceX, is known for involvement in X (formerly known as Twitter), OpenAI, the Boring Company, and many more. Through his various business endeavors, Musk has been able to earn a massive net worth which he usually donates to causes such as education, renewable energy, and healthcare. In 2022, Musk gave around $2 billion worth of Tesla shares to charity, with $5.74 billion of shares in 2021. Also, recently, it has been revealed that he has poured over $75 million into supporting Donald Trump, by donating this amount to America PAC. Musk is doing this because he wants to support Trump’s political campaign and put him back into the White House.
Chuck Feeney Was A Remarkable Philanthropist
Another businessman who was popular around the world for donating millions of dollars was Chuck Feeney. He was one of those philanthropists who made the biggest donations. He was an American businessman who co-founded the Duty-Free Shoppers Group. Also, he was the owner of one of the biggest private charitable foundations, Atlantic Philanthropies. However, he died in 2023 at the age of 92. During his lifetime, he made donations of over $8 billion mainly to healthcare, human rights, poverty, youth, and aging. Around $3.7 billion he has donated to education, with Cornell University receiving $1 billion. Above $870 million has been given to protecting human rights, more than $700 million has been donated to the healthcare sector, and approximately £8 million has been given to the Integrated Education Fund.
Around $6 Billion Has Been Donated By Alisher Usmanov
Alisher Usmanov was an oligarch from Russia who had sanctions from various countries including the US, EU, UK, and Ukraine. After the fall of the Soviet Union, he became a wealthy individual by making smart investments and doing business in mining and metals. The Kommersant publishing house, which is a daily newspaper in Russia, is owned by him. However, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU blacklisted him and froze all his assets. Despite all of this, he is one of the biggest philanthropists who gives money to support art, sports, healthcare, and science. In 2020, he donated the $8.8 million Olympic Manifesto to a Games museum in an auction held in New York. Further, he was a major donor, who gave billions in fighting against Covid-19.
The Sainsbury Family Has Made Biggest Donations
The United Kingdom’s second-largest supermarket chain, Sainsbury was founded by this wealthy family. The notable members of the family include John James Sainsbury, John Benjamin Sainsbury, Alan Sainsbury, Robert Sainsbury, Simon Sainsbury, and Tim Sainsbury. Apart from business, the family is known for their interests in politics, science, art, and philanthropy. As of now, the family has made charitable donations of approximately $5 billion, majorly to causes such as human rights, education, art, youth, and aging. Further, to English Heritage and the National Trust, the Sainsbury family provides their major support and donations because they protect the historical sites of the country.
Billions Have Been Donated By Christopher Honn To Improve Education, Poverty, and Youth
The hedge fund manager from Britain is a billionaire who is known around the world for establishing The Children’s Investment Fund Management. In 2003, this prominent hedge fund was founded by Honn, and the profits made by this were allocated proportionately to The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, a charitable organization. In this, he was a major investor who focused on improving the lives of kids living in poverty. As of now, he has donated around $4.5 billion to youth, poverty and education. It has been reported that he has given $813 million to Child health and development, $416.6 million to Sexual and reproductive health and rights, $30.4 million to Child Health, and $91.6 million to Girl capital. Further, Christopher Honn has pledged that he will give most of his wealth for charitable purposes.
Carlos Slim Helu Has Made The Biggest Donations In The World
Another business magnate who has made the biggest donations in the world is Carlos Slim Helu. He is a famous businessman from Mexico who also works as an investor and philanthropist. Grupo Carso is the conglomerate that he founded and through this business group, he has owned shares in various Mexican companies. By owning the shares, Helu has made an extensive net worth which he donates to various charitable purposes including education, sports, downtown restoration, healthcare, and arts. As of now, he has made a total donation of over $4.2 billion to many causes, including the Carlos Slim Foundation.
Alwaleed Philanthropies Has Made Donations Of Around $4 Billion
Alwaleed Philanthropies is a charitable organization which has been founded by a billionaire named Al-Waleed bin Talal. The philanthropic organization was founded in 1980 and mainly works to combat poverty, empower women and youth, create cultural understanding through education, and provide relief to areas that have been affected by natural calamities or disasters. As of now, the organization has donated $30 million to fight COVID-19, approximately $3 million to UNESCO to aid projects focused on sustainable development, and a generous amount to UNICEF. Also, in 2017, the organization partnered with UNICEF for $50 million so that more kids could be vaccinated in countries that do not have adequate vaccines for measles and rubella.
The Weston Family Is A Supporter Of Charitable Causes
It is a famous family of businesspeople who founded various businesses primarily in the food and retail sectors. In the year 1884, George Weston purchased a bakery in Ontario and through this, the operations of the family were kickstarted. The Weston family owns and manages over 200 companies through George Weston Limited and other holding companies. Apart from their businesses, the family is known for their philanthropic work because they have donated around $2.3 billion to various social causes such as innovations, environment, healthcare, and aging. In 2014, the Weston Family Foundation donated $50 million to the Weston Brain Institute to aid medical research in neurodegenerative diseases of aging. Also, to the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, they gave $12 million. The family has a history of giving which dates back to the 1960s.
Approx $2 Billion Has Been Donated By Phil Knight
Another wealthy man who has donated millions and billions of dollars for several charitable purposes is Phil Knight. He is a business magnate from America who co-founded the largest sports equipment and apparel company, Nike Inc. He is also the chairman emeritus of the company, who has made a great amount of net worth from the same. Further, he is the owner of a production company named, Laika. As of now, Phil Knight has made a donation of about $2 billion to various causes such as education, intercollegiate athletics, and healthcare. In 2022, Phil and Penny Knight donated $75 million to Stanford University so that they could establish the Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience. In 2023, over $1 billion was given to the University of Oregon. Further, $0.4 billion was donated by Phil to Portland to rebuild the black community.
James E. Stowers Has Gave Approximately $2 Billion In Donations
He was a businessman from America who became popular around the world for giving millions and billions of dollars for charitable purposes. He founded the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and American Century Investments and became one of the wealthiest individuals. His business endeavors have flourished, helping him to earn a massive net worth. As of now, James E. Stowers has given a generous amount of around $2 billion, a large part of his wealth, to start a medical research center. This was his major donation which was in the healthcare sector. However, in March 2017, he died after a period of declining health. At the time of his death, the billionaire founder was 90 years old.
Approximately $1.9 Billion Has Been Given Away By Hansjoerg Wyss From His Total Wealth
The next billionaire who has donated a big amount of money to charitable causes is Hansjoerg Wyss. He is a businessman from Switzerland who is known around the world for being the founder and ex-chairman of Synthes. Apart from this, he also co-owns the football club of Chelsea. Apart from his business endeavors, he is popular for donating a big part of his wealth to environmental causes and poverty. Around $1.9 billion has been given away by Hansjoerg Wyss for supporting climate change and other causes. In 2015, he gave $350 million for the protection of the environment, and in 2018, he donated $1 billion to the Wyss Campaign for Nature. Further, to Harvard Business School, he has given $131 million so that they can support the Wyss Institute. In 2022, he gave a $350 million gift to Harvard University for the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
Over $2 Billion Has Been Donated By Howard Hughes
The American aerospace engineer, Howard Hughes was also a businessman and film producer. Around the world, he was also one of the most generous philanthropists who have billions of dollars for charitable purposes. During his lifetime, he was known as the most influential person in the world. Apart from this, he has made donations of over $2 billion to the healthcare sector. In 1953, the aviator donated all the stocks of Hughes Aircraft Company to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. This was a huge donation that turned the medical institute into a tax-free charitable institution. As of now, HHMI has a $22.6 billion endowment.
Ted Turner’s Donated Money To United Nations Foundation
The famous American entrepreneur, Ted Turner is known around the world for founding CNN, the 1st 24-hour cable news channel. Also, he is a television producer and media proprietor who works in the entertainment industry. Apart from this, Turner is also a philanthropist who donated a sum of $1 billion dollar to the United Nations Foundation (UNF) in the year 1997. He is the chairman of the board of directors of the UNF and supports the goals of the United Nations to promote peace around the world. In addition to this, he has contributed to The Captain Planet Foundation and The Nuclear Threat Initiative.
Over $1 Billion Has Been Given Away By Stephan Schmidheiny
Another great businessman who has donated millions and billions of dollars for charitable purposes is Stephan Schmidheiny. He is a Switzerland-based businessman and industrialist who also works as a philanthropist. Around the world, he is famous for being a part of the Schmidheiny family. Through his philanthropy, Schmidheiny has made donations for the betterment of the environment and sustainable development. In 2003, he donated his Grupo Nueva holding group worth $1 billion at that time, to the Viva Trust. Currently, the funds are being distributed to the Avina Foundation. Also, he has stated that giving is a rewarding experience and through this, he has learned a lot about people’s needs.
Vitalik Buterin Donated More Than $1 Billion To Various Charities
He is a famous Canadian computer programmer who is also known around the world for being the co-founder of Ethereum. When the cryptocurrencies were in their beginning stage, he became highly interested in them and co-founded Bitcoin Magazine. In 2021, Vitalik Buterin donated over $1 billion dollars to India’s COVID relief fund and other charitable organizations. He made his generous donation by offloading a large amount of dog-themed meme tokens which he was gifted. Further, he has endorsed projects that help Ukraine by way of crypto philanthropy.
Gordon Moore And His Wife Have Donated Over $5 Billion
Gordon Moore was a popular businessman from America who co-founded the Intel Corporation. Also, he was an engineer who proposed Moore’s law which states that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles every two years. He and his wife, Betty, founded the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, a charitable organization. Through this, they made donations for environmental conservation, science, and healthcare. The foundation has donated more than $5 billion since it started in 2000. The foundation has also launched projects for the betterment of the San Fransico Bay Area. However, in 2023, Gordon Moore passed away at the age of 94.
Eli Broad Was One Of The Generous Givers Who Donated Over $4 Billion
The American businessman, Eli Broad was a very wealthy man who was famous around the world for his philanthropic activities. He transformed public K-12 Education into a charter school model, performing arts, and medical and scientific research. Majorly, Broad is known for donating money for public education, science, and arts. The businessman’s organization operates in two entities named, The Broad Art Foundation and The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. As of now, the Broads have donated more than $4 billion to support scientific and medical research, arts, education, K-12 public schools, and contemporary arts.
Paul Allen Donates Huge Amount Of Money For Charitable Causes
The American businessman, Paul Allen was also a computer programmer, explorer, and sports executive. He co-founded the Microsoft Corporation with his friend, Bill Gates which was followed by the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s. Apart from his business endeavors, Allen is also a philanthropist who donated more than $2 billion for various charitable purposes such as science, education, wildlife, conservation, community services, and technology. In addition to this, he founded the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation with his sister Jody. Since its inception, it has donated over $494 million to various charitable causes. Further, he has given $100 million for the Ebola crisis and $30 million for Seattle homelessness.
Michael Dell Makes Biggest Donations
The American businessman, Michael Dell is a billionaire who serves as the CEO, Chairman, and Founder of Dell Technologies. He is also an investor and philanthropist who donates millions of dollars to charitable causes. In the year 1999, Michael and his wife Susan founded the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation which mainly focuses on the betterment of the healthcare and education sector. As of now, their foundation has donated $2.4 billion for charitable causes such as education, economic opportunity, and healthcare. Also, in 2023, he donated Dell shares worth of $350 million. In 2020, when Covid-19 was going on, he made a $100 million gift to small businesses and Covid-19 relief funds.
Mark Zuckerberg Is One Of The Biggest Givers In The World
The American businessman, Mark Zuckerberg is known around the world for co-founding Facebook and its parent company, Meta Platforms. In the companies, he is the CEO, Chairman, and controlling shareholder. With the success of these companies, he became one of the greatest self-made billionaires in the world. Apart from his business endeavors, Zuckerberg is popular around the world for his philanthropic activities. In 2018, he donated 18 million Facebook shares worth $990 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. In the year 2021, he and his wife pledged that they would donate around $500 million to Harvard University to build the Kempner Institute, which will help in learning AI. Then, in 2023, he donated $250 million to Chicago Biotech.
Henry Wellcome Left A Large Amount Of Money To Fund The Wellcome Trust
The pharmaceutical entrepreneur from America was famous around the world for founding a company with his colleague Silas named Burroughs Wellcome & Company. During his lifetime, he was often spotted donating money for various charitable purposes but after his death, it was revealed by his will that he left a large amount of his capital for the Wellcome Trust. It is a medical charitable organization that helps improve scientific research and medicine study.
T. Denny Sanford Has Donated Billions For the Improvement of Healthcare and Education
The businessman from South Dakota is popular because he founded the First Premier Bank. Also, for its holding company, he serves as the chairman as well as the CEO. Apart from this, he is also a great philanthropist who supports the education and healthcare sector. The Sanford College of Education at National University got $500 million from the businessman. Also, Denny has donated $1.5 billion to the Sanford Health System.
Connie And Steve Ballmer Focus On Economic Mobility
The next philanthropists who have made the biggest donations are Steve and Connie Ballmer. Steve Ballmer was the former CEO of Microsoft who also works as an investor. Also, he owns the Los Angeles Clippers from the National Basketball Association. Apart from this, he is popular worldwide for his donations, which he makes with his wife. In 2014, they gave around $50 million to the University of Oregon. They also gave millions to the computer science department of Harvard University. Recently, they have donated $425 million to the University of Oregon. This donation has been made to fund a new institute for the behavioral health of children.
Jeff Bezos Intends To Give Most of His Wealth To Charity
He is an American business magnate who is popular around the world for being the founder and CEO of Amazon, the world’s largest e-commerce platform. He is one of the richest men on the earth who has recently revealed that he will give most of his wealth to charity. He has donated millions to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press. In 2020, he pledged to give $10 billion to combat climate change through the Bezos Earth Fund. Further, in March 2024, he donated around $50 million each, to Bill McRaven and Eva Longoria. Apart from these, Jeff Bezos has made many more donations such as to the Environmental Defense Fund.
John D. And Laura Arnold Are One Of The Biggest Money Donors
John D. Arnold is a very famous philanthropist from America who is also known around the world as the founder of Arnold Ventures LLC. Through this company, he became a billionaire who mostly spent his wealth for major charitable purposes along with his wife Laura. In 2018, it was revealed that John has spent over $100 million in health-care-related grants. His main aim by doing this was to reduce pharmaceutical costs. Also, the couple has donated approximately $5 million to Vanderbilt’s College of Arts and Science. He made this donation to show his support for quantitative studies and public policies. As of now, Arnold Ventures has donated almost $425 million on education-related grants. Further, Laura and John have donated a big part of their wealth because they think that wealth is an instrument to create positive change.
