Billionaires Who Care

The world of social impact philanthropy and financing invites many considerations and approaches. The article below is from Philanthropy News Digest (5/29/19) and offers a broad range of potential sources for research and development; wealthy individuals who have committed to giving MOST of their wealth to philanthropy. BrightSpot Communities is dedicated to enabling organizations, coalitions, cities and visionaries enable their sustainability goals into reality.

New Giving Pledge Signatories Announced

The Giving Pledge has announced the addition of seventeen individuals and couples to its list of signatories, bringing to two hundred and four the total number of those pledging to give the majority of their wealth in support of philanthropic causes.

New signatories include WhatsApp founder Brian Acton and his wife, Tegan, founders and co-chairs of Wildcard Giving; MacKenzie Bezos, whose divorce from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos earlier this year reportedly left her with Amazon stock worth more than $35 billion; Jeremy and Hanne Grantham, co-founders of the Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment; hedge fund manager and Robin Hood Foundationfounder Paul Tudor Jones and his wife, Sonia; United Networks of America board chair Ryan D. "Jume" Jumonville; Twilio founder Jeff Lawson and his wife, Erica; LeFrak Productions president Francine A. LeFrak and her husband, Rick Friedberg; Danaher Corporation co-founder Mitchell Rales and his wife, Emily; Chris and Crystal Sacca, founder and partner, respectively, of venture capital fund Lowercase Capital; Pinterest co-founder Paul Sciarra and his wife, Jennifer; and Toll Brothers co-founder Robert Toll and his wife, Jane, co-founders of the Robert and Jane Toll Foundation.

New Giving Pledgers outside the United States include Ben Delo, co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX and Britain's youngest self-made billionaire; Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Bin Musallam Bin Ham Al-Ameri, deputy chair of the Abu Dhabi-based Bin Ham Group; David Harding, founder of London-based global investment management and data science company Winton, and his wife, Claudia; Daoming Liu, chair of Myhome Real Estate Development Group in Wuhan, China, and founder of the Myhome Foundation; Canadians John and Marcy McCall MacBain, founders of the McCall MacBain Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland; and London-based AKO Capital and AKO Foundation founder Nicolai Tangen and his wife, Katja.

"All lives are valuable, including those of future generations," said Delo. "I expect that a vast and extraordinary future lies ahead if we can navigate the challenges and opportunities posed by new technologies in the upcoming century."

"We are thrilled to welcome this year's group of Giving Pledge signatories to the community, which has grown to more than two hundred people in just nine years," said Warren Buffett, who launched the campaign in 2010 with Bill and Melinda Gates. "The generosity of this group is a reflection of the inspiration we take from the many millions of people who work quietly and effectively to create a better world for others, often at great personal sacrifice."

"More Than 200 Philanthropists Have Now Joined the Giving Pledge, Committing to Give at Least Half Their Wealth to Charitable Causes." 05/28/2019.