If you have a kind heart to give out to people and share with them whatever you can, then you have a heart of a philanthropist. The in-depth interest in serving the people leads us to know more about those who dedicated their entire lives to the cause. Philanthropists are people who don’t just donate money, but also their time for charitable causes. Such efforts can result in the construction of schools, and shelters. A philanthropist donates a large amount of money to create a meaningful impact. Interestingly, not all philanthropists are rich or famous; some simply devote their time to help those in need.
From Elizabeth Segerstrom to Charles Francis, there are many philanthropists around the world. Every country has at least one philanthropist. So let’s have a look below at many such people serving the world.
Elizabeth Segerstrom: Elizabeth Segerstrom is a renowned philanthropist who shared her love and passion for arts with her late husband Henry T. Segerstrom. Together with her husband, Segerstrom developed the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert hall for the expansion of arts. On October 26, 2018, Celebrate Colburn Gala honoured her for exemplary contributions and her work for classical music.
Jon Huntsman: Jon Hunstman Sr. who is the founder of Hunstman Corporation. He is a cancer survivor whose net worth is $940 million, but his total lifetime donation exceeds $1.4 billion. Hunstman and his wife are also members of the Warren Buffet Giving Pledge. The pledge is about giving 50 percent of your wealth to charity. Hunstman and his wife donated primarily for cancer research and building colleges.
Gordon Moore: Gordon Moore, another philanthropist who has been on the road to make the lives of humans better. He is a co-founder of Intel with a net worth $6.5 billion, but his lifetime donations and charity are more than $6 billion. Moore now has a total focus on philanthropy and is on a mission to make a significant improvement in environmental conservation.
Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz: Sulaiman bin Abdul Aziz Al Rajhi, the hero of the middle-east, co-founded Al Rajhi Bank back in the 1950s and grew it into one of the biggest Islamic banks of the region. He eventually shifted his focus to philanthropy and has been modestly donating for health, and religious and social causes. Aziz is a soccer fan too and has donated for sports causes in the middle-east. His net worth sits at $5.7 million, but his lifetime donations exceed $6 billion.
Warren Buffet: Warren Buffet, the world’s second-richest person, is an American investor and business magnate. Warren Buffet is one of the most successful investors who made $53,000 by the age of 16. The Harvard reject who went on to become one of the world’s richest people, with a net worth of $90 billion.
The buffet is a firm believer in philanthropy and has pledged to give away 85 percent of his wealth to the Bill Gates Foundation. He has also generously donated for a lot of social causes. Most importantly, for the conservation of the environment. His biggest donation amounts to $ 37 billion! Buffet’s lifetime donations amount to more than $45 billion.
Salman Khan: Salman Khan, Bollywood’s most wanted and India’s most successful actor, is also one of the most amazing personalities of the world as he runs the Being Human charity. He has been operating the charity for the past many years.
He has not only donated big chunks of paychecks to his charity but also personally made sure that the affected have been looked after. In an interview, Salman Khan said he is a big fan of lavish spending and wishes that he could spend lavishly, but that he is a bigger fan of charity and donating makes him happier than anything in this world. Khan has been running Being Human since 2007.
Mr and Mrs Bill Gates: The power couple that is Bill & Melinda Gates, have completely changed the world for better by their major contributions. The duo has been donating for large scale projects for the underprivileged around the world, especially hygiene related projects in India and clean water projects for African kids.
They have massively been investing in philanthropy projects. Bill and Melinda Gates set up a foundation and invited various billionaires of the world to donate at least 50 percent of their wealth to the foundation. Gates is the third richest person in the world, with his net worth at $107.1 billion. His lifetime donation is more than $50 billion, with major contributions going to agricultural development, emergency relief, urban poverty, and many educational projects.
Charles Francis: Charles Francis Freeney, who is also known as the James Bond of philanthropy, has been a major example of philanthropy for the world. He is the engineer of duty-free shops and had his net worth to $8 billion. Given away 99 percent of his wealth for donations left him with a net worth of only $2 million. Francis is now living with his wife in a modest rented apartment in San Francisco and has no luxuries, not even a car.
Conclusion
All the aforementioned philanthropists have made a major impact on the world and mankind. The said philanthropists just a few amongst many. There are so many who couldn’t be discussed here. Knowing about them changes the way a person thinks and has a big impact on many lives. Among many other philanthropists, these great people inspired many to contribute to the betterment of the planet and the younger generation. Also, check out some of the top socially responsible companies that are making an impact.
They changed the lives of many completely. The efforts to bring a change in the world is not limited to just philanthropy, but many are trying to create a change in society through their respective roles. One should do all they can to make lives better. It is very rightly said: “be the change you wish to see in the world.”