‘Forbes 400′ and ‘Giving Pledge’ Billionaires Who Gave Big in 2017
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Reporter
February 8, 2018 | Read Time: 2 minutes
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Only 17 people on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans appear on this year’s Philanthropy 50 list. That could be a sign that many of the wealthiest people in America aren’t big givers. But there are important caveats: Some billionaires don’t regularly make the Philanthropy 50 because they donate infrequently in very large amounts. Others may give anonymously or choose not to disclose their charitable giving publicly or to The Chronicle.
These 17 donors gave nearly $10.3 billion in 2017:
| Philanthropy 50 Rank | Donor | Amount Donated | Forbes Rank | Net Worth | Share of Wealth Donated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill and Melinda Gates | $4,780,000,000 | 1 | $89,000,000,000 | 5.4% |
| 2 | Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan | $2,018,944,200 | 4 | $71,000,000,000 | 2.8% |
| 3 | Michael and Susan Dell | $1,000,000,000 | 19 | $23,200,000,000 | 4.3% |
| 5 | Michael Bloomberg | $702,000,000 | 8 | $46,800,000,000 | 1.5% |
| 8 | John and Laura Arnold | $285,000,000 | 226 | $3,300,000,000 | 8.6% |
| 9 | Pierre and Pam Omidyar | $257,500,000 | 48 | $9,600,000,000 | 2.7% |
| 11 | George Soros | $208,200,000 | 20 | $23,000,000,000 | 0.9% |
| 13 | Henry and Susan Samueli | $200,000,000 | 186 | $3,800,000,000 | 5.3% |
| 15 | Jack and Laura Dangermond | $165,000,000 | 200 | $3,700,000,000 | 4.5% |
| 16 | David Geffen | $150,000,000 | 63 | $7,800,000,000 | 1.9% |
| 18 | Denny Sanford | $140,000,000 | 359 | $2,200,000,000 | 6.4% |
| 27 | Marc and Lynne Benioff | $95,000,000 | 150 | $4,500,000,000 | 2.1% |
| 28 | Paul Allen | $91,000,000 | 22 | $20,600,000,000 | 0.4% |
| 33 | Haim and Cheryl Saban | $66,000,000 | 240 | $3,200,000,000 | 2.1% |
| 40 | Gordon and Betty Moore | $50,000,000 | 65 | $7,500,000,000 | 0.7% |
| 40 | Stephen Ross | $50,000,000 | 65 | $7,500,000,000 | 0.7% |
| 48 | Raymond and Barbara Dalio | $48,400,000 | 26 | $17,000,000,000 | 0.3 |
Among the 125 U.S. signers of the Giving Pledge, 16 individuals or couples landed a spot on the Philanthropy 50. Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates started the Giving Pledge in 2010 to persuade the world’s wealthiest people to commit to giving at least half of their fortunes to charity.
These donors gave $9.2 billion in 2017:
| Philanthropy 50 Rank | Donor | Amount Donated |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill and Melinda Gates | $4,780,000,000 * |
| 2 | Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan | $2,018,944,200 * |
| 5 | Michael Bloomberg | $702,000,000 |
| 8 | John and Laura Arnold | $285,000,000 * |
| 9 | Pierre and Pam Omidyar | $257,500,000 * |
| 12 | David Rockefeller | $202,000,000 |
| 13 | Henry and Susan Samueli | $200,000,000 |
| 15 | Jack and Laura Dangermond | $165,000,000 |
| 18 | T. Denny Sanford | $140,000,000 |
| 25 | Sheryl Sandberg | $97,999,000 * |
| 28 | Paul Allen | $91,000,000 |
| 32 | Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest | $70,000,000 |
| 40 | Gordon and Betty Moore | $50,000,000 |
| 40 | Stephen Ross | $50,000,000 |
| 48 | Raymond and Barbara Dalio | $48,400,000 * |
| 50 | Irwin and Joan Jacobs | $43,543,000 * |
*Indicates the primary gift went to the donor’s own foundation or donor-advised fund
