As of March 2024, Warren Buffett is the world’s richest billionaire investor, with a net worth of $133.8 billion. The Berkshire Hathaway founder is also a dedicated philanthropist. His Giving Pledge encourages billionaires to commit at least half of their wealth to causes that benefit humanity.
From Carl Icahn to Yuri Milner, here are five billionaire investors who have followed Buffett’s lead and joined the Giving Pledge.
1. Carl Icahn
One of Wall Street’s most successful investors, Carl Icahn has a net worth of $5.6 billion. He started his investment career over 60 years ago, eventually founding Icahn Enterprises. Today, the holding company focuses on business areas like investment, energy, and real estate.
Carl Icahn pledged his assets to philanthropy over 30 years ago. He was one of the first billionaires to sign the Giving Pledge in 2010. His philanthropy focuses on bolstering education for underprivileged children, especially those living in New York City.
Additionally, Carl Icahn launched the Icahn Scholars Program at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. Each year, the programme awards scholarships to bright but financially challenged students to support their education.
2. Paul Tudor Jones
Paul Tudor Jones is a hedge fund manager with a net worth of $8.1 billion. He founded Tudor Investment Corporation in 1980. The company now manages $13 billion in assets.
In 1988, Paul Tudor Jones founded the Robin Hood Foundation, a charity that fights poverty in New York City. He has also co-founded the Everglades Foundation and Excellence Boys Charter School, the first all-boys’ charter school in the U.S.
Sonia and Paul Tudor Jones signed the Giving Pledge in 2019, highlighting the power of communal generosity in their pledge letter. Both grew up in the church, and the couple emphasises that one of the Bible’s key themes is the necessity of giving.
3. Jahm Najafi
Jahm Najafi is a private equity investor with a net worth of $1.3 billion. After launching his career on Wall Street, Najafi founded his investment firm Najafi Companies in 2002. His most profitable venture involved investing $100 million in domain registrar Network Solutions, which he later sold for $800 million.
Jahm Najafi is one of the most recent billionaires to sign the Giving Pledge, joining in 2023. An Iranian immigrant to the U.S., his pledge emphasises empowering others through opportunity and social justice. He plans to give away more than half a billion dollars in the next few decades to arts, education, and diversity and equity causes.
4. John Arnold
John Arnold is the founder of Centaurus Advisors and a former Enron executive. His net worth is currently $3.3 billion.
In 2010, the successful investor retired at the age of 38 and joined the Giving Pledge with his wife Laura. The couple believe it’s their responsibility to ensure others receive the same opportunities they did.
To this end, the couple has donated a large portion of their wealth to the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. The Foundation focuses on areas where investments can make a large impact on total societal benefit, such as criminal justice and education.
5. Yuri Milner
Yuri Milner is a tech investor with a net worth of $5.9 billion. He founded DST Global, a leading internet investment firm with a portfolio that has included influential companies like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Spotify, Alibaba, and Airbnb.
When he and his wife Julia joined the Giving Pledge in 2012, the couple vowed to invest in humanity’s most brilliant scientific minds. As explored in his short book Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilisation, Yuri Milner believes that we must invest in science to ensure humanity thrives for generations to come.
The Milners established the Breakthrough Foundation to support their science and tech-focused philanthropic efforts, including:
