Warren Buffett, James Simons and Phil Knight are among the top charity donors of 2023
ABC News
Investment guru Warren Buffett topped The Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual list of the biggest charitable donations in 2023, with his $541.5 million gift to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named for his first wife, who died in 2004
The Chronicle of Philanthropy's annual list of the biggest charitable donations from individuals or their foundations totaled more than $3.5 billion in 2023. Four universities received big gifts in 2023, along with four scientific research institutes and a health-care system. The other gifts went to a family foundation and a racial-justice group.
The list has 11 gifts because of ties. Eight of the donors are multibillionaires, and their combined net worth is $305.1 billion.
Topping the list is a gift from the investment guru Warren Buffett, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at roughly $119 billion. He gave 1.5 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway Class “B” stock valued at $541.5 million to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named for his first wife, who died in 2004.
Buffett created the grantmaker in 1964 to manage the family’s charitable giving, and it remains a family affair. Two of his three children serve on its board, and it is led by his former son-in-law. The foundation primarily backs women’s reproductive health. It also provides college scholarships for students in Nebraska, where the family is from.
The donation is a special contribution that Buffett announced in November rather than one of the annual contributions he makes to the foundation and several other grant makers, which are payments toward multibillion-dollar pledges he announced in 2006.
Uber says it will invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian Automotive to help launch up to 50,000 robotaxis
Kuwait says a drone attack targeting an oil refinery has sparked a fire
The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, is forecasting annual retail sales will grow at a faster clip this year than last year, citing consumers’ resilience despite lots of economic volatility
U.S. wholesale prices came in hotter than expected in February
U.S. wholesale prices came in hotter than expected in February
Macy’s profit rose more than Wall Street expected in the fourth-quarter, and the retailer delivered another increase in comparable sales Wednesday
Iran's judiciary says it has executed man for allegedly spying for Israel's Mossad as war rages
Japan has recorded a trade surplus of 57.3 billion yen, or $360 million, in February, according to government data, reversing from a deficit a month earlier
The Iran war has rattled the global flow of oil, with steeper fuel costs already straining households worldwide
The Wisconsin state Senate has passed a $133 million package to combat contamination from forever chemicals
Colombia says it is seeking a license from the U.S. Treasury Department to invest in several electricity and natural gas ventures in Venezuela
The Iran war has scrambled the Federal Reserve’s outlook on inflation and unemployment and will likely further delay interest rate cuts this year, putting off any relief for consumers struggling with high borrowing costs for home and car purchases
Argentina’s wine industry, once a thriving business, is facing its worst crisis in more than 15 years, with record low domestic consumption and a drop in exports