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The Giving Pledge
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The Giving Pledge is a charitable campaign, founded by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, to encourage wealthy people to contribute a majority (i.e. more than 50%) of their wealth to philanthropic causes. As of October 2025[ref], the pledge has over 250 signatories from 30 countries.[2] Most of the signatories of the pledge are billionaires, at a total of US$600 billion.[3]
Description
[edit]The organization's stated goal is to inspire the wealthy people of the world to give at least half of their net worth to philanthropy, either during their lifetime or upon their death. The pledge is a public gesture of an intention to give, not a legal contract.[4] On the Giving Pledge's website, each individual or couple writes a letter explaining why they chose to give.[5]
History
[edit]In June 2010, the Giving Pledge campaign was formally announced and Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett began recruiting members.[6] As of August 2010, the aggregate wealth of the first 40 pledgers was $125 billion.[7] As of April 2011, 69 billionaires had joined the campaign and given a pledge,[8] and by the following year, The Huffington Post reported that a total of 81 billionaires had pledged.[9] By May 2017, 158 individuals and/or couples were listed as pledgers.[5][10][needs update] Not all pledgers are billionaires.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was removed from the list in December 2022 following his arrest.[11]
Banker T. Denny Sanford had his name removed from the list in May 2023 following the unsealing of court documents about his possible involvement with child pornography.[12]
The Giving Pledge was cited as inspiration for the Jewish Future Pledge, a charitable campaign launched in 2020 to encourage American Jews to give at least half of their charitable giving to Jewish- or Israel-related causes.[13]
Many pledge participants channel their philanthropy through private family foundations or donor-advised funds (DAFs) that they control, enabling immediate tax benefits while allowing disbursements over time. According to a 2025 report by the Institute for Policy Studies, roughly 80 percent of pledger contributions have gone to such intermediary organisations rather than directly to operating charities. Supporters argue this builds enduring endowments and professionalizes grantmaking, while critics contend it delays impact and preserves donor control, blurring the line between philanthropy and the maintenance of influence.[1][14]
The initiative has also attracted criticism from journalists, watchdog groups, and members of the philanthropic sector for its voluntary and non-binding nature, which provides no mechanism to verify or enforce the fulfilment of commitments. Commentators note that some signatories may gain public recognition without necessarily donating the pledged share, and that many participants have seen their net worth increase since joining. According to a 2025 analysis by the Institute for Policy Studies, the 32 original U.S. pledgers who remain billionaires have collectively become about 166 percent wealthier since signing on in 2010. According to the study, just 8 of 22 pledgers who have since died actually gave away enough to meet the "half of wealth" pledge by the time of their death.[1][14]
List of notable pledgers
[edit] |
Net worth is as of 2024[update] for notable signers. A full list of pledgers is available online.[15]
| Name | Net worth in billion US$ | Source of wealth | Industry | Year of pledge | Year of death | Amount donated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elon Musk | 852[16] | Tesla, SpaceX | Electric vehicles, Rocketry | 2012 | $7.6 billion (2021–22) | |
| Larry Ellison | 231.8[17] | Oracle | Tech | 2010 | $0.8 billion (est.) | |
| Warren Buffett | 146.8[18] | Berkshire Hathaway | Finance & Investments | 2010 | $60 billion+ | |
| Bill Gates | 105.1[19] | Microsoft | Software, Tech | 2010 | $50 billion+ | |
| Mark Zuckerberg | 201.7[20] | Meta Platforms | Tech | 2010 | $45 billion (est.) | |
| MacKenzie Scott | 38.6 | Amazon | Tech | 2019 | $19 billion | |
| Azim Premji | 12.3 | Wipro | Tech | 2013 | $21 billion (est.) | |
| Vladimir Potanin | 23.7[21] | interros | Investment | 2013 | ||
| Jim Simons | 25.2 | Renaissance Technologies | Finance & Investments | 2010 | 2024 | $4 billion+ |
| Dustin Moskovitz | 24.04 | Tech | 2010 | $2.6 billion | ||
| Carl Icahn | 22 | Icahn Enterprises | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| Pierre Omidyar | 21.8 | eBay | Tech | 2010 | ||
| Andrew Forrest | 20.8 (2023)[22] | Fortescue | Mining | 2013[23] | ||
| John Doerr | 12.7[24] | Kleiner Perkins | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| Patrick Soon-Shiong | 11.5 | Abraxane, investments | Healthcare | 2010 | ||
| Melinda French Gates | 11.4 | Microsoft | Tech | 2010 | ||
| Jack Dangermond | 9.2 | ESRI | Geoinformatics, Environment | 2016 | ||
| Cliff Obrecht and Melanie Perkins | 9.2 | Canva | Tech | 2021 | ||
| George Lucas | 8.59 | Lucasfilm | Media | 2010 | ||
| Nikhil Kamath | 8 | Zerodha | Finance & Investments | 2023 | ||
| Charles Feeney | 8[25] | DFS Group | Luxury retail | 2011 | 2023 | $8 billion+ |
| George Kaiser | 7.6 | Kaiser-Francis Oil Company | Energy | 2010 | ||
| Judith Faulkner | 7.5[26] | Epic Systems | Tech | 2015[27] | ||
| Yuri Milner | 6.8[28] | DST Global | Technology investing | 2013 | ||
| Henry Samueli | 6.7 | Broadcom Corporation | Tech | 2011 | ||
| Jeffrey Skoll | 6.1 | eBay | Tech | 2010 | ||
| Mitchell and Emily Wei Rales | 5.4 | Danaher Corporation | Business | 2019 | ||
| Bernard Marcus | 4.5[29] to 6.1[30] (2019) | The Home Depot | Retail | 2010 | 2024 | $2.2 billion (est.) |
| Barron Hilton | 4.5 | Hilton Worldwide | Services | 2010 | 2019 | $3.6 billion (est.) |
| David Green | 4.5 | Hobby Lobby | Retail | 2010 | ||
| Jeff Green | 4.4 | AdECN | Tech | 2021 | ||
| Ronald Perelman | 4.3 | MacAndrews & Forbes | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| David Rubenstein | 4.3 | The Carlyle Group | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| Walter Scott Jr. | 4.2 | Berkshire Hathaway | Finance & Investments | 2010 | 2021 | $0.5-0.7 billion |
| Julian Robertson | 4.1 | Tiger Management | Finance & Investments | 2010 | 2022 | $2 billion+ |
| Anil Agrawal | 4 | Vedanta Resources | Mining | 2021 | ||
| Thomas Secunda | 3.6[31] | Bloomberg L.P | Tech | 2010 | ||
| B. R. Shetty | 3.5 | NMC Health | Healthcare | 2018 | ||
| David Rockefeller | 3.3 | Standard Oil, inheritance | Energy | 2010 | 2017 | |
| Ken Langone | 3.3 | The Home Depot | Retail | 2010 | ||
| Bill Ackman | 2.8 | Pershing Square Capital Management | Finance & Investments | 2012 | ||
| Charles Zegar | 2.8[32] | Bloomberg L.P | Tech | 2010 | ||
| Peter G. Peterson | 2.8 | Blackstone Group | Finance & Investments | 2010 | 2018 | |
| Garrett Camp[33] | 2.7 | Uber | Tech | 2017 | ||
| Brian Armstrong | 2.6 | Coinbase | Cryptocurrency | 2018 | ||
| Ted Turner | 2.4[34] | Cable News Network | Media | 2010 | ||
| Herbert and Marion Sandler | 2.4 | Golden West Financial Corporation | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| Gerry Lenfest and Marguerite Lenfest | 2.4 | Lenfest Communications | Media | 2010 | 2018 | |
| T. Denny Sanford | 2.2 | First Premier Bank | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| Sam Altman | 2[35] | OpenAI, ChatGPT | Tech | 2024[36] | ||
| James E. Stowers | 2[37] | Twentieth Century Mutual Funds | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| Tom Steyer | 1.6 | Farallon Capital | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| George P. Mitchell | 1.6 | Mitchell Energy & Development Corp | Energy | 2010 | 2013 | |
| Ted Forstmann | 1.6 | Forstmann Little & Company | Finance & Investments | 2010 | 2011 | |
| Jon Huntsman Sr. | 1.5 | Huntsman Corporation | Manufacturing | 2010 | 2018 | $1.5 billion+ |
| Mark Pincus | 1.4 | Zynga | Tech | 2022 | ||
| Sidney Kimmel | 1.4 | Jones Apparel Group | Fashion & Cosmetics | 2010 | ||
| Irwin M. Jacobs | 1.2 | Qualcomm | Tech | 2010 | ||
| Bernard Osher | 1.1[38] | Golden West Financial Corporation | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| Duncan MacMillan | 1.1 | Bloomberg L.P | Tech | 2010 | ||
| Lorry I. Lokey | 1 | Business Wire | Media | 2010 | 2022 | |
| Sanford I. Weill | 1[39] (2021) | Shearson Loeb Rhoades | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| John Morgridge | 1 | Cisco Systems | Tech | 2010 | ||
| Tom Monaghan | 1 | Domino's Pizza | Food & Beverage | 2010 | ||
| Lyda Hill | 1 | Hunt Oil Company, inheritance | Energy | 2010 | ||
| Anne Wojcicki | 0.8 | 23andMe | Genealogy | 2022 | $0.02 billion+ (2022) | |
| Shelby White | 0.6[citation needed] | Leon Levy, Odyssey Partners | Finance & Investments | 2010 | ||
| T. Boone Pickens | 0.5 | Mesa Petroleum, BP Capital Management | Energy, Finance & Investments | 2010 | 2019 | $1 billion+ |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Collins, Chuck; DeVaan, Bella (13 August 2025). "These Billionaires Pledged To Give Away Their Wealth. Instead, Most Are Getting Wealthier". Newsweek. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ^ "Who has taken the Pledge". The Giving Pledge. 2025-10-07. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ "Global Billionaire Population: The Billionaire Census 2018". Wealth-X. Archived from the original on 6 January 2021. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- ^ "Forty U.S. billionaires pledge to give half their money to charity". Xinhua News Agency. 4 August 2010. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
A statement from the Giving Pledge website said "the pledge is a moral commitment to give, not a legal contract."
- ^ a b The Giving Pledge :: Pledger Profiles Archived 2017-04-17 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 16 May 2017
- ^ Carol Loomis (16 June 2010). "The $600 billion challenge". Fortune. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ^ Blackburn, Bradley (4 August 2010). "The Giving Pledge: Billionaires Promise to Donate at Least Half Their Fortunes to Charity". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 May 2018. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ 10 More U.S. Families Commit to the Giving Pledge [1], retrieved 25 October 2011
- ^ ""Warren Buffett, Bill Gates Giving Pledge Gets 12 More Billionaires To Commit Over Half Of Their Fortunes", Huffington Post, April 20, 2012". Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- ^ Lorenzetti, Laura (1 June 2016). "17 More Billionaires Join Buffett and Gates' Giving Pledge This Year". Fortune. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ^ Alexander, Sophie (2022-12-14). "Sam Bankman-Fried Cut From Giving Pledge Website After Arrest". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 2022-12-14. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ McEvoy, Jemima (25 September 2023). "Billionaire T. Denny Sanford Cut From The Giving Pledge After Child Porn Probe Documents Released". Forbes. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
- ^ Oster, Marcy (2020-05-14). "New Jewish giving pledge takes a page from Gates and Buffett initiative". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Archived from the original on 2023-10-09. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
- ^ a b Collins, Chuck; DeVaan, Bella; Flannery, Helen; Petegorsky, Dan (30 July 2025). "The Giving Pledge at 15". Institute for Policy Studies. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ^ "Pledgers". The Giving Pledge. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ "Elon Musk". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2014-02-10. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Larry Ellison". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2018-01-31. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Warren Buffett". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Bill Gates". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Mark Zuckerberg". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "Vladimir Potanin". Bloomberg Billionaires Index. 22 November 2022. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Andrew Forrest". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
- ^ Robin, Myriam (2013-02-20). "Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest pledges to give away half his wealth". SmartCompany. Archived from the original on 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
- ^ "John Doerr". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ Dwyer, Jim (2017-01-05). "'James Bond of Philanthropy' Gives Away the Last of His Fortune". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-01-10. Retrieved 2017-01-05.
- ^ "Judy Faulkner". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- ^ "Judy Faulkner – The Giving Pledge". The Giving Pledge. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
- ^ "Yuri Milner". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2017-07-10. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ Denham, Hannah (2019-07-01). "Home Depot co-founder plans to give away most of his billions". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ Nussbaum-Cohen, Debra (2019-12-20). "Home Depot founder Bernie Marcus on sunsetting his foundation". Jewish Insider. Archived from the original on 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
- ^ "Thomas Secunda". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-09-01. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ "Charles Zegar". Forbes Profile. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ Kolodny, Lora (2017-11-22). "Uber and Infosys co-founders are latest billionaires to join The Giving Pledge". CNBC. Archived from the original on 2017-12-17. Retrieved 2017-12-16.
- ^ "Ted Turner". Forbes. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
- ^ "Sam Altman". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
- ^ Valinsky, Jordan (2024-05-28). "OpenAI's Sam Altman vows to give away most of his wealth through the Giving Pledge". CNN. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
- ^ "James Stowers, U.S." Forbes. Archived from the original on 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ "Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2005". www.forbes.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-29. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
- ^ "Sandy Weill". Forbes Profile. 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.