Sheryl Sandberg, Jeff Bezos among most generous people on the planet
Some of the richest people on the planet are also among the most generous. Here’s a roundup of how much these billionaires, including Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Jeff and Mackenzie Bezos, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, Bill and Melinda Gates, Evan and Sara Williams and Pierre and Pam Omidyar, who gave to charity last year, according Economic Times report citing bussinessinsider.in.
Jeff and Mackenzie Bezos
Jeff and his soon-to-be ex-wife Mackenzie donated $2 billion to good causes. In June 2018, Bezos — who is the world’s richest man — asked Twitter what philanthropic cause he should give his billions to. In the end, the money was used to fund non-profit schools and homeless charities through Bezos’s Day One Fund. Image source: Reuters
Sheryl Sandberg
The Facebook COO plugged $100 million into her donor advised fund in 2018, which will reportedly continue to support LeanIn.org, her initiative to further female leadership, and OptionB.org, a website founded by Sandberg to help people cope with grief. Sandberg also seeded a new fund late last year called the Goldberg Charitable Support Fund, although it’s not yet clear what this fund will support. Image source: Reuters
Bill and Melinda Gates
The couple published their annual letter last week, detailing what they’ve learned about and invested in over the past year. They gave $138 million to philanthropic causes in 2018, plugging money into global health, education, and advocacy projects. Last year, the couple topped the Philanthropy 50 list with donations of almost $5 billion in 2017. Image source: Reuters
Evan Williams
Evan Williams, who helped invent Twitter more than a decade ago and briefly served as its CEO, along with wife Sara Williams, donated $100 million to various youth and educational charities He is also the founder of blog platform Medium. Image source: Reuters
Pierre and Pam Omidyar
The eBay founder and his wife gave away $392 million in 2018 to a range of causes. Along with the Omidyar Network, Pam and Pierre have pioneered a number of other foundations to address directly some of the most pressing issues in the world today. HopeLab, which was founded by Pam in 2001, focuses on using cutting edge technology to engage young people and improve their health. Image source:medalofphilanthropy.org
Paul Allen
Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen passed away in October 2018 after donating $261 million to charity. He primarily gave his money to medical and AI organisations, while also donating to museums including the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum, the US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, and the Museum of Pop Culture. Image source: Reuters TV