Forbes‘ latest feature highlights a distinguished group of influential individuals who have allocated a significant share of their wealth to philanthropy.
Their charitable efforts support a range of causes, from global health initiatives to education programs.
This list shows a sustained dedication to giving among some of the most financially successful individuals in the world.
1. Jeff Bezos (Total Donations: $4.1 Billion)
Jeffrey Bezos is an American entrepreneur recognized as the founder, executive chairman, and former president and CEO of Amazon, the leading global e-commerce and cloud computing company.
The founder of Amazon, has donated billions of dollars to charitable initiatives through the Day One Fund and the Bezos Earth Fund. The Day One Fund supports homeless families by providing grants to organizations and helps establish and operate tuition-free preschools in underserved communities. In 2018, Bezos committed $2 billion to this fund, and in 2023, he contributed $117 million in grants. The Bezos Earth Fund represents a $10 billion commitment aimed at addressing climate change. It provides funding for scientists, activists, and nongovernmental organizations, with a focus on conservation and restoration. The fund supports various programs, including conserving and restoring nature, improving the future of food systems, promoting environmental justice, and decarbonizing energy and industry.
In addition to these initiatives, Bezos launched the Courage and Civility Award, which grants $100 million to a recipient who can distribute the funds to charities of their choice. He has also provided grants to organizations across the United States and Puerto Rico. He’s currently at a cap of $4.1 Billion as total donation
2. Steve & Connie Ballmer (Total Donations: $4.99 Billion)
Steven Anthony Ballmer is an American entrepreneur and investor who led Microsoft as its chief executive officer from 2000 to 2014. He owns the Los Angeles Clippers, a team in the National Basketball Association. Steve and his wife, Connie Ballmer are also a co-founder of Ballmer Group, a philanthropic investment organization.
The Ballmer Group is a non-governmental organization dedicated to funding initiatives and leaders that enhance economic mobility and address systemic inequities in the United States. It provides financial support to organizations that work toward reducing these disparities and expanding opportunities. The group has also contributed to climate and carbon management efforts through targeted donations.
In addition to its philanthropic work, the Ballmer Group launched USAFacts, a website that compiles and presents data on government revenue, spending, and other key metrics. It also uses data-driven approaches to identify and support interventions in low-income communities.
Among its notable contributions, the Ballmer Group donated $5.6 million to NAF to facilitate its expansion in southeast Michigan. It also provided $4 million to the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability to establish a climate and carbon management initiative. They are currently at a cap of $4.99 Billion as total donation.
3. Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan (Total Donations: $5.1 Billion)
Priscilla Chan is an American pediatrician and philanthropist. Along with her husband, Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram), she founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative in December 2015. They committed to transferring 99 percent of their Facebook shares, which were valued at $45 billion at the time, to support the initiative’s mission.
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is a new kind of philanthropy that’s on a mission to help build a more inclusive, just and healthy future for everyone. They are currently at a cap of $5.1 Billion as total donation.
4. Mackenzie Scott (Total Donations: $19.25 Billion)
MacKenzie Scott is an American novelist and philanthropist, known as a co-founder of Amazon and the former wife of Jeff Bezos. As of December 2024, her net worth is estimated at $42.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with a 4% ownership stake in Amazon.
Shas donated billions of dollars to nonprofits and is widely recognized for her generous grants. In 2024, she announced that she had contributed over $2 billion to 199 organizations. Since 2019, her total donations have reached $19.2 billion. Through her foundation, Yield Giving, she has awarded more than $14 billion in grants to over 1,600 nonprofits. Scott has supported a variety of causes, including education, health, economic security, and equity and justice. Her contributions to education have funded initiatives in youth development, elementary and secondary education, and early learning. In the health sector, she has provided funding for mental and behavioral health programs, child development and welfare, as well as nutrition and food security. She has also invested in economic security by supporting economic development, financial inclusion, and agricultural initiatives. Additionally, she has funded efforts related to equity and justice, including programs focused on incarceration and justice system involvement, immigration and migration, and disability rights.
To distribute her wealth, Scott has used an online database called Yield Giving to make her donations publicly accessible. She also introduced the “Open Call” initiative, which allows community-focused nonprofits to apply directly for financial support. She is currently capped at a $21.1 Billion on total donation.
5. Michael Bloomberg (Total Donations: $21.1 Billion)
Michael R. Bloomberg is a businessman and former three-term Mayor of New York City, whose contributions to government and philanthropy have established him as a global leader in addressing climate change, public health, education, and other key challenges in the United States and beyond. Bloomberg Philanthropies represents all of Mike Bloomberg’s charitable efforts, aiming to improve and extend lives for as many people as possible worldwide. The organization supports initiatives in 700 cities across 150 countries and allocated $3.7 billion in 2024 alone. To date, Mike Bloomberg has contributed $21.1 billion to various causes and organizations.
6. George Soros (Total Donations: $23 Billion)
George Soros is an American investor and philanthropist. By October 2023, his net worth was $6.7 billion, and he had donated over $20 billion to the Open Society Foundations, with $15 billion already distributed, accounting for 64% of his original fortune. In 1984, Soros used part of his profits to establish the OSF. He has been instrumental in supporting democracy in Eastern Europe by providing scholarships, technical assistance, and aiding the modernization of schools and businesses in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Russia, and Yugoslavia.
Soros has also funded numerous education and health initiatives and contributed to human rights efforts. He supported academic exchanges to the West, which helped promote freedom of thought and expression. In Hungary, he supported independent cultural groups and their activities. Additionally, Soros has made financial contributions to the Democratic Party in the United States.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Soros pledged $25 million to help launch the $100 million Ukraine Democracy Fund. He also committed $500 million to Bard College to enhance its role as a founding partner of the Open Society University Network. He is currently capped at a $23 Billion on total donation.
7. Bill Gates & Melinda French Gates (Total Donations: $47.7 Billion)
William Henry Gates III is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist, widely recognized for co-founding the software company Microsoft. He went on to serve as the company’s chairman, CEO, president, and chief software architect. On the other end, Melinda French Gates is an American philanthropist and former multimedia product developer and manager at Microsoft. Raised in Dallas, Texas, she graduated from Duke University and began her career at Microsoft in 1987.
The couple, who share three children, divorced in 2021. In 2024, Melinda French Gates stepped down from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to focus on independent philanthropy, having been granted $12.5 billion for charitable purposes as part of their divorce settlement. They have been dedicated philanthropists for many years, contributing billions of dollars to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Their philanthropic efforts have concentrated on health, education, and social justice. Bill Gates established the William H. Gates Foundation in 1994 to enhance global health and support the Pacific Northwest. In 1997, Bill and Melinda Gates launched the Gates Library Foundation to provide internet access to public libraries across the United States. In 2000, the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Library Foundation merged to form the BMGF. To date, the BMGF has distributed over $77 billion in charitable grants and has supported various causes, including disease eradication, clean water initiatives, and agricultural development.
They are currently at a cap of $47.7 Billion as total donation.
8. Warren Buffett & Family (Total Donations: $62 Billion)
Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor and philanthropist, currently holding the positions of chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Due to his successful investments, Buffett has become one of the most renowned investors globally.
Warren Buffett is a philanthropist who has committed to donating the majority of his wealth to charitable causes. He has pledged to give away 99% of his Berkshire Hathaway stock, having already donated billions of dollars to his family’s charitable foundations. His philanthropic efforts have supported various causes, including education, global health, poverty alleviation, and social justice. In 2010, he co-founded the Giving Pledge with Bill Gates, an initiative that encourages billionaires to contribute at least half of their wealth to charity. Buffett also supports the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which focuses on reproductive health and education. His philanthropic journey began after the death of his wife in 2004, and in 2006, he made his public pledge to donate most of his fortune. He has expressed his desire not to create a family dynasty and hopes his children will gradually distribute his shares of Berkshire Hathaway.
Buffett has committed to donating 99 percent of his wealth to charitable causes, mainly through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2010, he co-founded the Giving Pledge with Bill Gates, encouraging billionaires to pledge at least half of their fortunes to philanthropy. He is currently at a cap of $62 Billion as total donation.
