Airbnb co-founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and wife Lynne are among 17 billionaires joining The Giving Pledge.
The initiative, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet, encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their fortunes to philanthropy. The Giving Pledge was founded in 2015 and today’s announcement brings the number of signatories to 154 — from 15 countries around the world.
“This new group joining the Giving Pledge is incredibly thoughtful about their desire to give back and help solve the world’s toughest challenges through philanthropy,” Bill Gates said in a press release. “Some have been giving for decades and others are just starting out after building successful businesses, but they all see the value of giving in a bold and effective way. Melinda, Warren and I are glad to have the opportunity to learn with them and from them.”
Participants in The Giving Pledge met earlier this week at an annual conference to discuss some of the biggest challenges the world faces today. Money generated by the initiative will go toward healthcare, education, addressing poverty, and environmental protection.
Other noteworthy tech leaders that have joined The Giving Pledge include Michael Bloomberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Reed Hastings, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.
Here are the 17 new signatories announced today.
- The 17 new signatories announced today are:
- Margaret and Sylvan Adams (Israel)
- HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud (Saudi Arabia)
- Lynne and Marc Benioff (United States)
- Nathan and Elizabeth Blecharczyk (United States)
- Brian Chesky (United States)
- Scott Cook and Signe Ostby (United States)
- Jack and Laura Dangermond (United States)
- Henry Engelhardt, CBE and Diane Briere de l’Isle-Engelhardt, OBE (United Kingdom)
- Joe Gebbia (United States)
- Sir Tom and Lady Marion Hunter (United Kingdom)
- Robert and Arlene Kogod (United States)
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (India)
- PNC and Sobha Menon (UAE)
- Gary K. Michelson, M.D. (United States)
- Gensheng Niu (China)
- Liz Simons and Mark Heising (United States)
- Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim (United States)
