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The 10 biggest philanthropists in America

The biggest charitable donors in the U.S. collectively gave almost $12 billion in 2023

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Melinda French Gates, the co-founder of the Gates Foundation, made the list
Melinda French Gates, the co-founder of the Gates Foundation, made the list
Image: AFP (Getty Images)

Philanthropy is considered by some to be the cornerstone of a stable and free society, in part because it can help improve people’s lives and provide them with opportunities that may have not been as easily attainable otherwise.

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In 2023, the nation’s 50 largest donors gave over $11.9 billion, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, with those donations including efforts to combat antisemitism, support women’s rights, or even further develop AI related tools.

To compile the list, the magazine said it spoke with dozens of charities, philanthropists, and representatives, to find out more about large public donations made last year.

We’ve compiled a list of America’s top 10 donors, their source of wealth, and how much they contributed to their biggest gifts.

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10. Bernard Marcus

10. Bernard Marcus

  • Wealth Source: Retail, Home Depot Co-founder
  • Total Giving: $233,000,000
  • Biggest Gifts: Marcus Foundation
Bernard Marcus, left.
Bernard Marcus, left.
Image: Getty Images North America (Getty Images)
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9. Melinda French Gates

9. Melinda French Gates

  • Source of Wealth: Technology
  • Total Giving: $249,900,000
  • Biggest Gift: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Melinda French Gates is the founder of Pivotal Ventures.
Melinda French Gates is the founder of Pivotal Ventures.
Image: Anadolu (Getty Images)
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8. Pam and Pierre Omidyar

8. Pam and Pierre Omidyar

  • Source of Wealth: Technology
  • Total Giving: $264,000,000
  • Biggest Gift: AI Collaborative, Democracy Fund, First Look Media
Pam and Pierre Omidyar.
Pam and Pierre Omidyar.
Screenshot: The Chronicle of Philanthropy
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7. Eric and Wendy Schmidt

7. Eric and Wendy Schmidt

  • Source of Wealth: Technology
  • Total Giving: $306,300,000
  • Biggest Gift: Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation; Schmidt Ocean Institute; and Schmidt Family Foundation
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Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
Image: Getty Images North America (Getty Images)




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6. Franklin Antonio

6. Franklin Antonio

  • Source of Wealth: Technology
  • Total Giving: $400,000,000
  • Biggest Gift: Science Research, SETI Institute and Summer Science Program
UCSD JACOBS SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING.
UCSD JACOBS SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING.
Screenshot: UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering (Getty Images)
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5. John and Laura Arnold

5. John and Laura Arnold

  • Source of Wealth: Finance
  • Total Giving: $483,600,000
  • Biggest Gift: Laura and John Arnold Foundation
 John and Laura Arnold
John and Laura Arnold
Image: Hearst Newspapers (Getty Images)
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4. Warren Buffett

4. Warren Buffett

  • Source of Wealth: Finance
  • Total Giving: $893,305,350
  • Biggest Gift: Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation; Sherwood Foundation; Howard G. Buffett Foundation; NoVo Foundation; and one other group
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Warren Buffet.
Warren Buffet.
Image: WireImage (Getty Images)
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3. Michael and Susan Dell

3. Michael and Susan Dell

  • Source of Wealth: Technology
  • Total Giving: $975,903,850
  • Biggest Gift: Michael and Susan Dell Foundation; Michael and Susan Dell Donor Advised Fund
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Michael and Susan Dell
Michael and Susan Dell
Image: Corbis Historical (Getty Images)
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2. Penny and Phil Knight

2. Penny and Phil Knight

  • Source of Wealth: Retail; Manufacturing
  • Total Giving: $1,242,253,250
  • Biggest Gift: Knight Foundation; 1803 Fund; donor-advised fund; U. of Oregon Foundation; and other groups
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Penny and Phil Knight
Penny and Phil Knight
Image: Icon Sportswire (Getty Images)
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1. Michael Bloomberg

1. Michael Bloomberg

  • Source of Wealth: Media
  • Total Giving: $3,000,000,000
  • Biggest Gift: Arts, education, environment, public health, and programs aimed at improving city governments around the world
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Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Image: Getty Images North America (Getty Images)
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