The 50 Top American Philanthropists

Special Report: Philanthropy

Slide show: Top Givers and Their Causes

Slide Show: The Biggest Bequests

How We Create The List: To measure what donors have given or pledged over the past five years, a team of reporters spends months conducting interviews and scouring databases, news reports, and foundation filings. For consistency, we count pledges in full at the time they're announced, discounting only those that are formally revoked. If a gift is in stock, we value it at the time it's announced. To avoid double-counting, the survey counts gifts to foundations at the time they're given and not when the money flows out of foundations.


Click column heading once to reorder from highest to lowest. Click twice to reorder from lowest to highest.
Rank
Name
Background
2004-08 GIVEN
OR PLEDGED* (millions of $)
Causes
ESTIMATED LIFETIME
GIVING* (millions of $)
Current
NET WORTH**
(millions of $)
GIVING AS A %
OF NET WORTH (%)
1 Warren BuffettBerkshire Hathaway CEO40,655 Health, education, humanitarian causes40,785 50,000 82 
2 Bill & Melinda GatesMicrosoft co-founder2,625 Global health and development, education27,602 57,000 48 
3 George KaiserOil and gas, banking, investments2,377 Poverty in Oklahoma2,897 12,000 24 
4 George SorosInvestor2,214 Open and democratic societies6,936 11,000 63 
5 William Barron HiltonHeir and former CEO of Hilton Hotels1,700 International health, children1,700 2,266 75 
6 Walton FamilyFamily of Wal-Mart founder1,380 Education reform, marine conservation2,015 93,100 2 
7 Herbert & Marion SandlerGolden West Financial co-founders1,329 Environment, civil rights, journalism1,389 2,400 58 
8 Peter PetersonBlackstone Group co-founder1,168 Fiscal health, foreign policy, education1,175 2,500 47 
9 Donald BrenReal estate developer908 Education, environment, research1,340 12,000 11 
10 Michael BloombergBloomberg founder, NYC Mayor903 Health, education, arts, social services1,500 20,000 8 
11 Jon HuntsmanHuntsman chairman803 Cancer, business education1,256 1,800 70 
12 Bernard OsherBanking, investments800 Higher education, medicine, arts1,000 900 111 
13 David RockefellerStandard Oil heir, banking770 Arts, education, conservation1,200 2,900 41 
14 John & Tashia MorgridgeCisco Systems chairman emeritus715 Education, conservation, human services1,100 1,600 69 
15 T. Denny SanfordBanking and credit cards706 Science education, medical research706 2,000 35 
16 T. Boone PickensEnergy and investing704 Education, athletics, health, environment713 3,100 23 
17 Shelby WhiteWidow of investor Leon Levy614 Ancient studies, arts, humanities850 600 142 
18 Alfred MannMedical devices, aerospace600 Biomedical education and research1,737 1,800 97 
19 Kirk KerkorianInvestor598 Humanitarian causes, Armenia, cancer1,059 11,200 9 
20 Eli & Edythe BroadSunAmerica, KB Home founder589 K-12 education, scientific research, arts2,319 6,700 35 
21 Jeffrey SkollFounding president of eBay551 Social entrepreneurship907 3,600 25 
22 Veronica AtkinsWidow of Dr. Robert Atkins529 Eradication of obesity and diabetes529 60 882 
23 Robert WilsonInvestor512 Environment545 600 91 
24 Pierre & Pam OmidyareBay chairman and founder504 Social entrepreneurship758 6,300 12 
25 David KochKoch Industries executive vice president440 Cancer research, education, arts623 19,000 3 
26 Lorry LokeyBusiness Wire founder, chairman433 Education, science, libraries, culture487 NANA
27 Sandy & Joan WeillFormer Citigroup chairman, CEO411 Education, health, arts, social causes800 1,400 57 
28 John KlugeMetromedia founder410 Higher education, medical research, arts760 9,000 8 
29 Julian RobertsonCEO of Tiger Management354 Education reform, environment, povertyNA1,600 NA
30 Bernard MarcusHome Depot co-founder351 Jewish causes, health, free enterprise750 1,600 47 
31 Irwin & Joan JacobsQualcomm co-founder341 Education, arts661 1,900 35 
32 Ted TurnerCNN founder318 Environment, global security1,567 2,300 68 
33 Philip KnightNike founder and chairman314 Higher education, cancer research455 10,500 4 
34 David & Suzanne BoothDimensional Fund Advisors CEO309 Higher education, art restoration319 NANA
35 Robert DayTrust Co. of the West CEO290 Education, health, arts328 1,400 23 
36 Hansjörg WyssMedical devices277 Land preservation, surgery, biology306 6,000 5 
37 James SimonsInvestor275 Math, science, education, autism327 7,400 4 
38 Dan Duncan & familyOil and gas259 Medicine, cancer, education, youth335 7,600 4 
39 Ted & Vada StanleyMBI founder256 Mental illness, crisis relief608 280 217 
40 Charles KochChairman and CEO, Koch Industries246 Libertarian causes, social welfareNA19,000 NA
41 David & Cheryl DuffieldPeopleSoft co-founder245 Animals, humane society, education343 1,300 26 
42 Sheldon AdelsonChairman and CEO, Las Vegas Sands Corp.243 Jewish, Israeli causes243 15,000 2 
43 Thomas & Stacey SiebelSiebel Systems founder242 Education, meth prevention, green energy543 1,900 29 
44 Henry KravisFounding partner of KKR239 Medical research, education, arts, povertyNA6,500 NA
45 Paul AllenMicrosoft co-founder, Vulcan Inc. chairman232 Arts, health and human services, science938 16,000 6 
46 Mortimer ZuckermanReal estate and publishing215 Healthcare, cancer, education, culture230 2,300 10 
47 Oprah WinfreyHarpo chairman214 Education, women, children and families306 2,700 11 
48 Peter LewisProgressive Insurance chairman206 Arts, environment, youth, social reform472 1,100 43 
49 Harvey NajimSirius Computer Solutions chairman and CEO202 Children’s charities in San Antonio, Texas205 210 98 
50 Marguerite HoffmanWidow of investor Robert Hoffman201 Dallas arts and education208 NANA

*Based on public records and interviews with donors **Based on Forbes 400 list and donor information.
Data: BusinessWeek, The Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.