From eradicating diseases to re‑imagining education and tackling the climate crisis, modern philanthropy is driven by a handful of towering figures whose chequebooks—and ambitions—reshape what is possible. Below is our 2025 league table of the world’s most famous philanthropists, counted down from No. 10 to the throne at No. 1. The ranking weighs lifetime cash–plus–stock giving, the scale and durability of the institutions they created, and their current momentum (major pledges or headline grants made in the past 18 months).
10. Shiv Nadar
Founder, HCLTech & Shiv Nadar Foundation (India)
- Annual giving hit ₹2,153 crore (≈ US$260 m) in FY 2024, keeping him India’s “Most Generous” for the third time in five years.
- Flagship projects include Shiv Nadar University and VidyaGyan leadership schools for rural youth.
9. Chuck Feeney
Co‑founder, Duty Free Shoppers; creator, The Atlantic Philanthropies (USA/Ireland)
Source: https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/chuck-feeney-atlantic-philanthropies-founder-dies-at-92
- Quietly gave away every cent of an estimated US$8 billion fortune before his death, championing the “Giving While Living” model.
- Capital gifts built 1,000‑plus university and hospital buildings on five continents, from Cornell Tech (NYC) to the University of Limerick.
8. Li Ka‑shing
Chair, CK Hutchison & Li Ka Shing Foundation (Hong Kong)
- Lifetime gifts top HK$30 billion (≈ US$3.8 billion) across education and healthcare; the foundation says one‑third of the tycoon’s wealth is ultimately earmarked for charity.
- Recent grants include HK$70 million for COVID‑19 relief and a £11 m endowment to Cambridge’s Early Cancer Institute.
7. MacKenzie Scott
Founder, Yield Giving (USA)
- In just five years she has dispersed US$19 billion in unrestricted, “trust‑based” grants to more than 2,000 nonprofits.
- Her open‑call initiative (2024) funnelled US$640 m to small, community‑led charities—doubling the original plan.
6. Azim Premji
Chairman‑Emeritus, Wipro & Azim Premji Foundation (India)
- Has transferred US$21 billion—including a 67 % stake in Wipro—into his education‑centric foundation, creating one of the world’s largest charitable endowments.
- 2025 commitments include ₹14.5 billion to expand mid‑day meals for five million school children.
5. Michael Bloomberg
Founder, Bloomberg LP & Bloomberg Philanthropies (USA)
- Lifetime giving now surpasses US$21 billion; 2024 outlays alone reached US$3.7 billion.
- In 2025 he pledged to cover America’s UN climate‑reporting dues after a second U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
4. George Soros
Founder, Open Society Foundations (USA/Hungary)
- Has channelled US$32 billion into OSF since 1984, funding civil‑society groups in over 120 nations.
- OSF’s 2023 programme spend hit US$1.7 billion, and son Alexander is steering a restructuring to sharpen its human‑rights focus.
3. Warren Buffett
CEO, Berkshire Hathaway; major donor to the Gates Foundation & family charities (USA)
- June 2025 share transfer of US$6 billion lifted his lifetime giving above US$60 billion—the biggest annual gift since his original 2006 pledge.
- Roughly 99.5 % of his remaining fortune is earmarked for charity via a post‑humous trust.
2. Bill Gates & Melinda French Gates
Co‑chairs, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (USA)
- Personal giving exceeds US$79 billion, powering the world’s largest private foundation.
- For its 25th anniversary the duo approved a record US$8.74 billion 2025 budget and a plan to spend down US$200 billion by 2045—doubling historic outflows.
1. Jamsetji Tata
Founder, Tata Group; Tata Trusts (India)
- The late industrial pioneer tops the all‑time table with an inflation‑adjusted US$102 billion in lifetime gifts, largely funnelling dividends from his conglomerate into health and education trusts that still dominate Indian giving today.
- Tata Trusts currently fund everything from cancer‑care hospitals to clean‑energy R&D, sustaining a 125‑year‑old culture of “nation‑building” philanthropy.
Conclusion
While their methods differ—some favour massive, long‑horizon endowments; others write fast, flexible cheques—all ten philanthropists share one conviction: wealth is most powerful when it leaves the balance sheet. As new fortunes rise (especially in tech and emerging markets), expect this leaderboard to evolve—but the yardstick these benefactors have set for impact, transparency, and urgency will remain the gold standard for the next generation of givers.
