2017 Philanthropy 50 Related Stories ➞
How Many Forbes 400 Billionaires Gave Big in 2016?
By Maria Di Mento
Senior Editor
February 7, 2017 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Only 22 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 22 donors gave $3.5 billion in 2016:
| Phil 50 Rank | Donor | Phil 50 Total | Forbes Rank | Net Worth | Percentage of wealth directed to charitable giving in 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil and Penny Knight | $900 million | 18 | $25.5 billion | 3.5 |
| 2 | Michael Bloomberg | $600.1 million | 6 | $45 billion | 1.3 |
| 4 | Paul Allen | $295 million | 21 | $18.9 billion | 1.6 |
| 5 | John and Laura Arnold | $284 million | 232 | $2.9 billion | 9.8 |
| 6 | Larry Ellison | $271.4 million | 5 | $49.3 billion | 0.6 |
| 8 | Pierre and Pam Omidyar | $173 million | 54 | $8.1 billion | 2.1 |
| 9 | Bill and Melinda Gates | $141.4 million | 1 | $81 billion | 0.2 |
| 12 | Phillip and Patricia Frost | $100 million | 134 | $4.1 billion | 2.4 |
| 12 | David Geffen | $100 million | 73 | $6.7 billion | 1.5 |
| 19 | Ronald Perelman | $89.9 million | 33 | $12.2 billion | 0.7 |
| 20 | Sean Parker | $75 million | 290 | $2.4 billion | 3.1 |
| 21 | John and Susan Sobrato | $68.3 million | 83 | $5.9 billion | 1.2 |
| 27 | Walter Scott Jr. | $53.3 million | 150 | $3.8 billion | 1.4 |
| 29 | Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman | $50 million | 222 | $3 billion | 1.7 |
| 29 | Elaine Wynn | $50 million | 361 | $1.9 billion | 2.6 |
| 32 | David Rubenstein | $49.5 million | 290 | $2.4 billion | 2.1 |
| 33 | Richard and Nancy Kinder | $44.1 million | 69 | $7 billion | 0.6 |
| 35 | Robert Smith | $42.45 million | 274 | $2.5 billion | 1.7 |
| 36 | Julian Robertson Jr. | $41.8 million | 174 | $3.6 billion | 1.2 |
| 38 | Marc and Lynne Benioff | $40 million | 150 | $3.8 billion | 1.1 |
| 41 | Joe and Rika Mansueto | $35 million | 321 | $2.2 billion | 1.6 |
| 47 | David Koch | $28 million | 7 | $42 billion | 0.1 |
Among the 117 U.S. signers of the Giving Pledge, 21 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 $2.7 billion in 2016:
| Phil 50 Rank | Donor | Phil 50 Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Michael Bloomberg | $600,100,000 |
| 4 | Paul Allen | $295,000,000 |
| 5 | John and Laura Arnold | $284,000,000* |
| 6 | Larry Ellison | $271,425,000 |
| 8 | Pierre and Pam Omidyar | $173,000,000* |
| 9 | Bill and Melinda Gates | $141,400,000* |
| 11 | Sheryl Sandberg | $107,157,600* |
| 12 | Phillip and Patricia Frost | $100,000,000 |
| 12 | Reed Hastings | $100,000,000* |
| 19 | Ronald Perelman | $89,913,892 |
| 21 | John and Susan Sobrato | $68,250,000* |
| 22 | Sanford and Joan Weill | $63,000,000* |
| 25 | Irwin and Joan Jacobs | $58,251,000* |
| 26 | Sidney and Caroline Kimmel | $55,000,000 |
| 27 | Walter Scott Jr. | $53,300,000 |
| 28 | Annette Simmons | $51,000,000 |
| 29 | Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman | $50,000,000 |
| 32 | David Rubenstein | $49,500,000 |
| 33 | Richard and Nancy Kinder | $44,054,709* |
| 36 | Julian Robertson Jr. | $41,800,000* |
| 41 | Joe and Rika Mansueto | $35,000,000 |
*Indicates the primary gift went to the donor’s own foundation
