Philanthropy 50: List of America’s top 50 donors of 2022
As the ranks of America’s super wealthy grow, the roster of major philanthropists is expanding to include not-so-typical megadonors — among them, a professional clarinetist, a Ph.D. in meat science, and a lawyer who regularly argues before the U.S. Supreme Court
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Your support makes all the difference.These are the donors who gave the most in 2022, 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
Microsoft co-founder
$5.1 billion
Biggest gift: $5.1 billion to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
____
2. Michael Bloomberg
Founder of Bloomberg financial news company
$1.7 billion
Biggest gift: Various
____
Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway
$758.8 million
Biggest gift: $474.3 million to Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
____
4. Jacklyn and Miguel Bezos
President of Bezos Family Foundation (Jacklyn) and retired engineer (Miguel)
$710.5 million
Biggest gift: $710.5 million to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
____
5. John and Laura Arnold
Retired hedge-fund manager (John) and former lawyer (Laura)
$617 million
Biggest gift: $617 million to Laura and John Arnold Foundation
____
6. Ruth DeYoung Kohler II
John Michael Kohler Arts Center director
$440 million
Biggest gift: $440 million to Ruth Foundation for the Arts
____
7. Sergey Brin
Google co-founder
$411.4 million
Biggest gift: $274.3 million to Sergey Brin Family Foundation
____
8. Denny Sanford
Banker
$333 million
Biggest gift: $150 million to University of California at San Diego
____
9. Alice Clark
Businesswoman
$321.8 million
Biggest gift: $321.8 million to A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation
____
10. Harry and Linda Fath
Businessman and wife
$275.3 million
Biggest gift(s): $50 million apiece to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, Catholic Inner City Schools Education Foundation, Notre Dame Law School, St. Xavier High School, Xavier University
____
11. Pierre and Pam Omidyar
Founder of eBay and wife
$266 million
Biggest gift: Various
____
12. George Roberts
Co-founder of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts international investment firm
$205 million
Biggest gift: $140 million to Claremont McKenna College
____
13. Leonard Lauder
Chairman emeritus of the Estee Lauder Companies
$188.3 million
Biggest gift: $125 million to University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
____
14. Sobrato Family
Real estate developers
$167.5 million
Biggest gift: $164 million to Sobrato Family Foundation
____
15. Audrey Steele Burnand
Former foundation director
$165.8 million
Biggest gift: $106 million to Hoag Hospital Foundation
____
16. John and Kathy Schreiber
Financier and wife
$125 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Loyola University Chicago
____
17. Jeff Bezos
Amazon founder
$122.2 million
Biggest gift: Various
____
18. Irwin and Joan Jacobs
Qualcomm co-founder and wife
$105.5 million
Biggest gift: $75 million to Joan and Irwin Jacobs Fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego
____
19. Edward Avedisian
Clarinetist
$104.8 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine
____
20. Brian Chesky
Airbnb co-founder
$103.3 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Barack Obama Foundation
____
21. (tie) Gerry Lenfest
Lenfest Communications founder
$100 million
Biggest gift(s): $50 million apiece to Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Museum of the American Revolution
____
21. (tie) Marvin Mann
Businessman
$100 million
Biggest gift: $100 million to Samford University
____
21. (tie) John Paulson
Hedge fund founder
$100 million
Biggest gift: $100 million New York University
____
24. Craig Newmark
Craigslist founder
$81 million
Biggest gift: $81 million to Craig Newmark Foundation and Craig Newmark Philanthropic Fund
____
25. Stuart and Molly Sloan
Investor and wife
$78 million
Biggest gift: $78 million to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
____
26. David Baldwin
Businessman
$74.3 million
Biggest gift: $12.7 million to Community Foundation Tampa Bay
____
27. Anthony Wood
Roku founder
$71.5 million
Biggest gift: $48.2 million to WoodNext Philanthropies
____
28. Eric and Wendy Schmidt
Former Google CEO and wife
$68.2 million
Biggest gift: $47 million to Schmidt Ocean Institute
____
29. Fred Smith
FedEx founder
$65 million
Biggest gift: $65 million to Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation
____
30. Richard and Melanie Lundquist
Real estate developers
$62.8 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to McPherson College
____
31. Adrienne Arsht
Businesswoman
$62.4 million
Biggest gift: $25 million Atlantic Council
____
32. (tie) Marc and Lynne Benioff
Salesforce founder and wife
$60 million
Biggest gift: $60 million to University of California at Santa Barbara
____
32. (tie) Stewart and Judy Colton
Business owners
$60 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
____
34. Joseph Gebbia Jr.
Airbnb co-founder
$58.6 million
Biggest gift: $25 million to American Friends of the Ocean Cleanup
____
35. Robert and Karen Hale
Granite Telecommunications co-founder and wife
$58.5 million
Biggest gift: $52.3 million to Fox Rock Foundation
____
36. Tilman Fertitta
Restaurateur
$55.5 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine
____
37. Richard and Nancy Kinder
Businessman and wife
$55.4 million
Biggest gift: Kinder Foundation
____
38. (tie) Jon and Mindy Gray
Financier and wife
$55 million
Biggest gift: $55 million University of Pennsylvania
____
38. (tie) Roy and Diana Vagelos
Physician-scientist
$55 million
Biggest gift: $55 million to Barnard Colllege
____
40. (tie) Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang
Nvidia Corporation founder
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Oregon State University Foundation
____
40. (tie) Thomas Kline
Lawyer
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University
____
40. (tie) Peter Paulsen
Real estate developer
$50 million
Biggest gift: $50 million to PeaceHealth
____
43. John Metz and Ali Khan
Art collector and husband
$46 million
Biggest gift: $46 million to Miami University
____
44. Gordon and Joyce Davis
Businessman and wife
$45.7 million
Biggest gift: $44 million to Texas Tech University
____
45. Harriet Macomber
Investor
$45 million
Biggest gift: $45 million to Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
____
46. John Martinson
Investor
$44.7 million
Biggest gift: $25.4 million to Purdue University
____
47. David and Kathleen LaCross
Businessman and wife
$44 million
Biggest gift: $44 million to University of Virginia Darden School of Business
____
48. Bastian Family
Farmers
$41.3 million
Biggest gift: $41.3 million to Utah State University
____
49. (tie) David Frederick and Sophia Lynn
Lawyer
$40 million
Biggest gift: $35 million to University of Oxford
____
49. (tie) Murry Gerber
Businessman
$40 million
Biggest gift: $40 million to Augustana College
_____
Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and non-profits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.