More than a dozen of the worlds wealthiest have joined a pledge to donate a majority of their wealth to charitable causes, either during their lifetimes or in their wills.
Global (05 January 2021) – The Giving Pledge recently announced that 14 new philanthropists had joined the global charity movement, bringing the total number of signatories to 231 from 28 countries.
Now in its 11th year, the Giving Pledge is a global, multi-generational commitment by some of the world’s wealthiest individuals and couples to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes, either during their lifetimes or in their wills. The Giving Pledge aims to catalyse a movement that will help shift the norms around wealth and giving on a global scale – including encouraging wealthy people to give more, establishing their giving plans sooner, and giving with greater impact.
The 231 Pledgers range in age from 34 to 98. Globally, signatories represent 28 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The only South Africans on the list are Patrice and Precious Motsepe, who pledged in 2013.
In his letter, Patrice spoke about how he was exposed to the spirit of Ubuntu at a very young age. He recalled that as a seven-year-old working in his father’s grocery store, he would see poor community members receiving free groceries from his mother. And retold stories of how his parents regularly paid for the school and university fees of less fortunate children from our communities.
“I was also a beneficiary of various people, black and white, in South Africa and in the US who educated, trained, mentored, and inspired me and whose faith and belief in me contributed to my success in my profession, business, and elsewhere. The same can be said about my wife, Precious, and we are deeply indebted to them and many more.
My parents taught me about business and entrepreneurship and also about the duty of giving and caring for the poor and marginalised.
Precious and I recognise the huge responsibility and duty that the Motsepe family has to poor, unemployed, disabled, women, youth, workers, and marginalised South Africans. We also have an ongoing obligation of nation-building, uniting black and white South Africans and contributing towards making Africa and the world a better place.”
Bill Gates, who founded the Giving Pledge together with Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett, says that he has always believed that if someone is able to help another person, they should do it.
“It’s great to welcome this new group of philanthropists to the Giving Pledge community as we continue to learn from each other and find new ways to maximise the positive impact of our philanthropy.”
Melinda French Gates said, “I’m inspired to see how the Giving Pledge has grown into a movement of over 230 philanthropists from around the world who are committed to giving away the vast majority of their wealth to address some of the most pressing issues in our society.”
Many of the newest signatories to the Giving Pledge are already deeply engaged in philanthropy, providing support to many causes, including poverty alleviation, climate change, education, medical research, disaster relief, gender equality, social justice, and wildlife protection.
A recurring theme in the letters from this year’s Giving Pledge signatories is a desire to not only use their wealth for good but also to grow philanthropy and strengthen traditions of giving in new geographies and among future generations – so that more resources are directed towards improving the lives of others and addressing complex challenges.
The newest signatories are:
- Anil Agarwal (India)
- Jon and Helaine Ayers (United States)
- Ric and Brenda Elias (United States)
- Jeff T. Green (United States)
- Jared and Monica Isaacman (United States)
- Bongjin Kim and Bomi Sul (South Korea)
- Miseon Hyeong and Beom-su Kim (South Korea)
- Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht (Australia)
- Jack and Renate Schuler (United States)
- Steven Schuurman (The Netherlands)
- Ben and Divya Silbermann (United States)
- Byron and Tina Trott (United States)
- David Vélez and Mariel Reyes (Brazil, Colombia, and Peru)
- Patti Bao and Tony Xu (United States)
For the full list of pledgers and their personal letters stating their commitment to giving, visit www.GivingPledge.org.
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