Multi-billionaires are always in the spotlight because they pay little or no taxes. But what do they do with their money? They buy mega-yachts, of course, but most of their wealth goes to donations and other charitable causes. Here are the biggest donors in the tech industry:
Bill Gates & Melinda French Gates
The two have a total fortune of $139.4 billion, $33.4 billion of which has gone to charity, such as developing Covid-19 vaccines for poorer countries or eradicating polio. The ex-couple established a foundation in 2000 that fights poverty, disease and inequality on Earth.
MacKenzie Scott
Jeff Bezos' ex-wife is also a big donor. When she divorced, she got just under 3% of all Amazon shares. Those are worth $47.3 billion all together. Since her divorce, she has donated $8.61 billion, which is more than Jeff Bezos has donated. The money has gone to over 780 organizations that address racism, gender equality, and public health.
Gordon & Betty Moore
The Intel founder and his wife also have a massive fortune. They own $11.1 billion and have donated $5.5 billion throughout their lives. In 2000, they also founded an organization that focuses on biodiversity, science and the protection of bay areas.
Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan
The Facebook founder and his wife are also big donors. They have a net worth of $112.8 billion and have donated $3 billion over their lifetime. The focus with the two is on science, education and criminal justice. Everything is handled through their own organization, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which was founded in 2015.
Michael & Susan Dell
The couple, who own $60.3 billion in Dell stock, have donated $2.25 billion. The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is involved with children living in poverty in the city in the U.S., India and South Africa.
Steve & Connie Ballmer
The former Microsoft CEO has a fortune of $96.5 billion in Microsoft stock. They have donated about $2.1 billion and are expected to give more. The focus of the two is on economic mobility. That means, they support the economic status of others who have less.
Jeff Bezos
The Amazon founder and the second richest person in the world has donated about $2.1 billion of his $184.8 billion. His focus is on the environment, education and homelessness. His most notable donation was when he gave $100 million to the Barack Obama Foundation.
Notable donors
These are people who have nothing to do with the tech industry, but definitely deserve an appearance on this list. The biggest donor in the world is Warren Buffett. The Berkshire Hathaway founder has donated $46.1 billion over his lifetime, most of which went to his colleague Bill Gates' foundation. Also a notable donor is Charles Feeney. He currently has a net worth of under $2 million, but has donated over $8 billion over his lifetime. Most of that goes to science, human rights and youth. His goal was to die poor so he could donate as much as possible.
