These are the donors who gave the most in 2021, according to the Philanthropy 50, an annual ranking compiled by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. A searchable database with more information on the donors and their beneficiaries is available at philanthropy.com.
1. Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates
Microsoft co-founder (Bill); founder of Pivotal Ventures investment firm (Melinda)
$15 billion
Biggest gift: $15 billion to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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2. Michael Bloomberg
Founder of Bloomberg financial-news company
$1.7 billion
Biggest gift: Various
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3.William Ackman and Neri Oxman
Pershing Square Capital Management founder and wife
$1.2 billion
Biggest gift: $1.2 billion to Pershing Square Foundation, Bill Ackman and Neri Oxman Foundation, and Oxman-Ackman Family Fund
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4. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Facebook co-founder (Mark) and pediatrician (Priscilla)
$1.05 billion
Biggest gift: $723 million to Chan Zuckerberg Donor Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation
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5. Sergey Brin and Nicole Shanahan
Google co-founder and wife
$816.1 million
Biggest gift: $464 million to Sergey Brin Family Foundation
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6. Jack Dorsey
Co-founder of Twitter and Block
$764.6 million
Biggest gift: $764.6 million to Jack Dorsey Donor Advised Fund at Fidelity Charitable and other DAFs
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7. Denny Sanford
Banker
$725 million
Biggest gift: $650 million to Sanford Health
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8. Phil and Penny Knight
Nike co-founder and wife
$700 million
Biggest gift: $500 million to University of Oregon
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9. Jeff Bezos
Amazon founder
$510.7 million
Biggest gift: $200 million to Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum
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10. Patrick and Shirley Ryan
Businessman and wife
$480 million
Biggest gift: $480 million to Northwestern University
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11. Eric and Wendy Schmidt
Former Google CEO and wife
$382.8 million
Biggest gift: $358.5 million to Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation
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12. Steve and Connie Ballmer
Former Microsoft CEO and wife
$355.9 million
Biggest gift: $355.9 million to Ballmer Group Donor Advised Fund at Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund
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13. Pierre and Pam Omidyar
Founder of eBay and wife
$332 million
Biggest gift: Various
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14. John and Laura Arnold
Retired hedge-fund manager (John) and former lawyer (Laura)
$270 million
Biggest gift: $270 million Laura and John Arnold Foundation
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15. Goodwin Family
Real-estate developers
$250 million
Biggest gift: $250 million to Break Through Cancer
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16. Charles Koch
Koch Industries chairman and CEO
$240.5 million
Biggest gift: $109 million to Stand Together Trust
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17. Sobrato Family
Real-estate developers
$212.1 million
Biggest gift: $162 million to Sobrato Family Foundation
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18. Irwin and Joan Jacobs
Qualcomm co-founder and wife
$209.9 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Salk Institute for Biological Studies
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19. Jerome Richardson and Rosalind Sallenger Richardson
Businessman and wife
$150 million
Biggest gift: $150 million to Wofford College
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20. Jared and Monica Isaacman
Founder of Draken International and Shift4 Payments and wife
$145 million
$125 million to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
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21. John and Tashia Morgridge
Chairman emeritus of Cisco Systems and wife
$135 million
Biggest gift: $135 million to University of Wisconsin at Madison
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22. Oscar Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang
Financier (Oscar) and archaeologist and art historian (Agnes)
$125 million
Biggest gift: $125 million to Metropolitan Museum of Art
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23. Daryl and Christine Burton
Real-estate developers
$123.9 million
Biggest gift: $123.9 million to Arizona Community Foundation
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24. William Miller III
Financier
$101.3 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Johns Hopkins University and $50 million to Santa Fe Institute
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25. (tie) Mark and Robyn Jones
Insurance company founders
$101 million
Biggest gift: $101 million to Montana State U. College of Nursing
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25. (tie) Frank and Monica McCourt
Financier and wife
$101 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Georgetown University
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27. (tie) Harry and Linda Fath
Businessman and wife
$100 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Mercy Ships and $50 million to University of Notre Dame
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27. (tie) Penny Pritzker
Businesswoman
$100 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Harvard University
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27. (tie) Arthur Riggs
Geneticist
$100 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to City of Hope
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27. (tie) Julian Robertson Jr.
Financier
$100 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Robertson Foundation
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31. K. Lisa Yang
Former investment banker
$82 million
Biggest gift: $51.7 million to Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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32. Bruce and Elizabeth Dunlevie
Benchmark Capital founder and wife
$80 million
Biggest gift: $80 million to Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health
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33. Melanie Smith Taylor
Olympic gold medalist
$79.5 million
Biggest gift: $79.5 million to University of Tennessee at Martin
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34. (tie) James and Paula Crown
Henry Crown and Company president and wife
$75 million
Biggest gift: $75 million to University of Chicago
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34. (tie) Paul and Joyce Robsham
Real estate developers
$75 million
Biggest gift: $75 million to Boston College
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36. Austin Russell
Luminar Technologies founder
$70 million
Biggest gift: $70 million to Central Florida Foundation
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37. Robert and Karen Hale
Granite Telecommunications co-founder and wife
$63.1 million
Biggest gift: $30 million to Connecticut College
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38. Helene Houle
Businesswoman
$60 million
Biggest gift: $60 million to Mayo Clinic
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39. John and Carolyn Sonnentag
Business owners
$57 million
Biggest gift: $57 million to University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire Foundation
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40. Agnes Neill Williams
Lawyer
$56.5 million
Biggest gift: $24.3 million to College of the Holy Cross
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41. Arley Cathey
Businesman
$54.5 million
Biggest gift: $54.5 million to University of Chicago
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42. Peter and Stephanie Nolan
Financier and wife
$52.5 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Cornell University
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43. Tessa Ader
Jewelry designer
$50.2 million
Biggest gift: $50.2 million to University of Virginia
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44. Richard and Nancy Kinder
Businessman and wife
$50.04 million
Biggest gift: $50.04 million to Kinder Foundation
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45. (tie) Donald and Andrea Friese
Businessman and wife
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Providence Tarzana Foundation
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45. (tie) Robert and Donna Manning
Financier and wife
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to University of Massachusetts
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45. (tie) Paul and Cleo Schimmel
Biophysical chemist and wife
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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45. (tie) Leonard Stern
Businesman
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business
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49. Charles (Buddy) Weill Jr.
Investor
$48.2 million
Biggest gift: $48.2 million to Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro
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50. Doris Kelley Christopher
Businesswoman
$45 million
Biggest gift: $45 million to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
