InJune 2010, BillandMelindaGatesandWarrenBuffettstartedtheGivingPledge: aninitiativeaimedatgettingbillionairestopledgeatleasthalfoftheirnetworthtocharitabledonations.[1] Sofar, 40 individualshavesignedup. ThelistincludeshouseholdnameslikeGeorgeLucas, DavidRockefeller, LarryEllison, MichaelBloombergand,[2] notleast, foundersGatesandBuffett, whohavepledgedsignificantlymorethanhalfoftheirnetworth.
TheimpactoftheGivingPledgeisastounding[3]. Let’slookatthesenumbersandwhattheymean:
•Thecombinednetworthofpledgers: $230 billion
•Whatcould $230 billiondofortheworld? Feedmorethan 862 millionhungrypeoplefor 7.7 years.
Somebillionaires, suchasWarrenBuffettandLarryEllisonhavealreadypledgedfarmorethanhalfoftheirwealth.
•WarrenBuffett: $46.5 billion
•IfBuffettdonated $46.5 billiontoday, itcouldtreatover 1 millionpeopleaffectedwithAIDSinAfricaperyear, for 30 years.
•LarryEllison: $26.6 billion
•IfLarryEllisondonated $26.6 billiontoday, itcouldprovidelaptops[4] for 133 millionpoorchildren.
•WithWarrenBuffett, LarryEllisonandtheotherbillionairesdonatingmorethan 50% oftheirwealth, $125 billioncouldgotocharitiestoday.
•Whatcould $125 billiondofortheworld? Educateover 80 millionchildreninAfricafor 12.5 years, orgivecleaningwaterto 5 billionpeoplefor 200 years.
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