8 Billionaires Who Are Taking Philanthropy To a Next Level

Did you know that the 26 richest people in the world hold a wealth equal to that held by 50% of the poorest population? This disparity is evidently persistent and can we do anything about it? Well, we should at least.

Many of us admire these top billionaires and aspire to be like them. Don’t we? Of course, we do, who doesn’t want to be that rich? But, with money and power comes social responsibility. So, now are you equally excited to take that responsibility along with the riches?

Wondering who are these superheroes without capes? The billionaire chairperson of Wipro Limited, Azim Premji, just donated over 50,000 crores from his net worth and all of the world is admiring him for that. Who wouldn’t? 50,000 crores!!! By donating 34% of the shares in his company, Azim Premji has drawn praise from philanthropy pioneers like Bill Gates and others.

For some who are rich by wealth, ought to be rich by heart as well. It takes a great deal to come forth and propagate the ideas of philanthropy. None of us are oblivious to the fact that the world needs such good souls to solve the issues of poverty and promote development.

While Azim Premji is focusing on improving education in India, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is focusing on poverty, climate change, and healthcare with a special emphasis on the African continent. Here is the list of such superheroes who have taken upon themselves to change the world for better by donating a part of their wealth every now and then.

1. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan

Mark Zuckerberg deserves to be on the top of the list. While many billionaires donate a fraction of their net worth generally ranging from some 10%-60%, the co-founder of Facebook announced a mammoth figure of 99% on the birth of his daughter. Mark promised that he would donate 99% of his Facebook shares to charity during his lifetime.

2. Bill and Melinda Gates

A pioneer in the philanthropy field, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda have been working with many organizations. A person who remained the world’s richest person for 19 years, Bill Gates would have still been so if not for his philanthropic activities where he has been investing more than $90 billion. Along with Warren Buffett, Bill Gates has founded “The Giving Pledge”, an organization to call upon the wealthiest to donate.

3. Warren Buffett

The richest person in the world in 2008, Warren Buffett is another name who has been pioneering the field of philanthropy. He founded “The Giving Pledge” along with Bill and Melinda Gates. The Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway has donated more than $30 billion till date.

4. Azim Premji

This is not the first occasion when Azim Premji has made such a mega donation. Before this recent donation of 52,750 crore rupees ( $7.5 billion), the Azim Premji Foundation made a donation of 27,514 crore rupees in 2015 too. The total donation till date by him amounts up to $21 billion.

5. Ratan Tata

Ratan Tata has been re-iterating Tata Group’s commitment to philanthropy for long. Tata Group has been working for the upliftment of the poor for long. Tata Scholarship for education is one of them. The group has been working on methods for alleviating poverty and provides more than 60,000 meals per day through their programmes.

6. Shiv Nadar

The founder and chairman of HCL and the Shiv Nadar Foundation, Shiv Nadar has donated billions for various causes in more than 20 years. He has been named the most philanthropic Indian many times. His foundation has even adopted 100 villages to transform them.

7. Michael Bloomberg

Also called Mike, he is the owner of Bloomberg L.P. and has been the mayor of New York City for 12 years. A dedicated environmentalist and an advocate to fight the climate change policies, he along with his foundation has pledged to donate around $49 billion, the majority of the wealth.

8. George Soros

A person who is known more for his philanthropy than his career. George Soros is an investor who has donated more the $32 billion so far while his net worth remains only a quarter of that. Known as “The Man Who Broke the Bank of England”, his donations are mainly for removing poverty and increasing transparency in the universities.

This club of compassionate souls has inspired many people and continues to do so. These torchbearers understand that success is followed by reflecting back. They know that they have the power to change the world with their wealth and they are setting themselves in the right direction.