From Bill and Melinda Gates to Mackenzie Scott, the nation's most generous donors have given away a collective $149 billion in their lifetimes
, she announced a total of $5.8 billion in grants to 500 different groups across the country.
Small charities spread across the U.S. suddenly found themselves cashing checks from one of tech’s great fortunes. “I’m still picking my jaw up from the floor," the CEO of Goodwill of North Florida, which got $10 million from Scott,. The pace and scope of her charitable giving is staggering.
In a year also marked by turbulent politics, some—including Zuckerberg and investor George Soros—have put big money behind pro-Democracy causes. Others remain focused on long-term challenges like reducing poverty and combating climate change. In total, these 25 billionaires have given an estimated $149 billion to charity over their lifetimes so far. And they have plenty more to go: they remain worth a collective $799 billion, byOur estimates factor in the total lifetime giving of American billionaires, measured in dollars givento charitable recipients—meaning we are not including money parked in a foundation that has yet to do any good.