Warren Buffett, at the age of 92, has made his largest annual donation by contributing an additional $4.64 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to five charitable organizations. This latest contribution brings his total philanthropic giving since 2006 to over $51 billion.
Among the beneficiaries of Buffett’s generosity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation received 10.45 million shares, totaling more than $39 billion in Berkshire stock. The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation received 1.05 million shares. Additionally, Buffett’s children Howard, Susan, and Peter’s charitable foundations—the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation—each received an equal share of 2.2 million shares.
Buffett, who has been at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway since 1965, is gradually donating the majority of his fortune. Through this ongoing initiative, he aims to give away almost all of his wealth accumulated from his leadership of the Omaha-based company.
Furthermore, Buffett, along with Bill Gates, spearheaded the Giving Pledge—an endeavor where more than 240 individuals, including Michael Bloomberg, Larry Ellison, Carl Icahn, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg, committed to donating at least 50% of their wealth to philanthropy. Buffett has already donated over half of his Berkshire stock and still retains ownership of more than $112.5 billion, which accounts for approximately 15% of the company’s shares, even after these recent donations.
In a statement, Buffett attributed his wealth to the long-term success of Berkshire, sound decision-making, the supportive economic climate in America, and the power of compounding. He clarified that his success was not a result of any extraordinary circumstances.
It’s worth noting that based on the value of the donated shares at the time of receipt—now worth $132 billion at today’s stock price—Buffett has given away a total of $50 billion. Business Insider highlights that if he had retained all the shares he donated, his net worth would exceed $250 billion, surpassing Elon Musk and making him the world’s wealthiest individual. Currently, Buffett holds the title of the sixth-richest person globally.
With this recent round of donations, the Gates Foundation has received nearly $39.3 billion, the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation has obtained close to $4.2 billion, while the Sherwood, Howard G. Buffett, and NoVo foundations have each received over $2.4 billion.
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