Another 17 US billionaires, including Facebook co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz, have pledged to give away at least half their fortunes in a philanthropic campaign led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
Another 17 US billionaires, including Facebook co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz, have pledged to give away at least half their fortunes in a philanthropic campaign led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
A total of 57 billionaires have now joined The Giving Pledge, which was launched by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and investor Warren Buffett in June. The campaign announced the new pledges in a statement late on Wednesday. Gates, his wife Melinda, and Buffett have asked US billionaires to give away at least half their wealth during their lifetime or after their death, and to publicly state their intention with a letter explaining their decision. The Giving Pledge does not accept money or tell people how to donate their money but asks billionaires to make a moral commitment to give their fortunes to charity.
“People wait until late in their career to give back. But why wait when there is so much to be done?” Zuckerberg, who gave $100 million in September to the beleaguered public schools of New Jersey, said. “With a generation of younger folks who have thrived on the success of their companies, there is a big opportunity for many of us to give back earlier in our lifetime and see the impact of our philanthropic efforts.”
The world’s youngest billionaires, pledges were made by AOL co-founder Steve Case, financier Carl Icahn and Michael Milken, a former Wall Street executive who went to prison in the early 1990s for securities violations.
“In just a few short months, we’ve made good progress,” said Buffett, who made his fortune with insurance and investment company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. “I look forward to many more conversations with families who are truly fortunate and whose generosity can and will change lives.”
—Reuters
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