The Giving Pledge announced the addition of 17 new individuals and families to the pledge since June 2015, bringing the current total of signatories to 154 from 16 countries.
The Giving Pledge is a multi-generational, global initiative created by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates that encourages billionaires to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.
Two of the 17 new signatories announced today are from the Gulf region: HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud (Saudi Arabia) and PNC and Sobha Menon (UAE).
HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz AlSaud is one of the world’s most successful businessmen. Over four decades, he has built up his business interests from his home country of Saudi Arabia into a global network and trusted partner of many of the world’s leading companies.
He founded Alwaleed Philanthropies in 1980 to help build a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable world for generations to come. The foundation’s priority areas include empowering women and youth, developing communities, creating cultural understanding and providing disaster relief.
Working with a range of partners, the foundation has initiated and supported thousands of projects in over 120 countries.
Mr. PNC Menon is the Chairman and Founder of Sobha Group, a multinational real estate development and construction group that has diversified interests and investments in the UAE, India, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Brunei and Tanzania.
Sobha’s beginnings are rooted in Oman, where the group’s India-born founder, Mr. Menon, established an interior design firm in the sultanate in 1976 under the name Services and Trade Company. Since then, the company – now named Sobha after Mr. Menon’s wife – has evolved to become one of the largest real estate organizations in India and the Middle East.
In the Gulf, the company is leading über luxury projects in Dubai, such as Sobha Hartland and District One. From extravagant palaces to lavish villas, Mr. Menon continues to be at the forefront of executing consistent quality and on-time delivery for clients across the globe.
The other 15 are:
• Margaret and Sylvan Adams (Israel)
• Lynne and Marc Benioff (United States)
• Nathan and Elizabeth Blecharczyk (United States)
• Brian Chesky (United States)
• Scott Cook and Signe Ostby (United States)
• Jack and Laura Dangermond (United States)
• Henry Engelhardt, CBE and Diane Briere de l’Isle-Engelhardt, OBE (United Kingdom)
• Joe Gebbia (United States)
• Sir Tom and Lady Marion Hunter (United Kingdom)
• Robert and Arlene Kogod (United States)
• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (India)
• Gary K. Michelson, M.D. (United States)
• Gensheng Niu (China)
• Liz Simons and Mark Heising (United States)
• Dr. Herbert and Nicole Wertheim (United States)
“This new group joining the Giving Pledge is incredibly thoughtful about their desire to give back and help solve the world’s toughest challenges through philanthropy,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Some have been giving for decades and others are just starting out after building successful businesses, but they all see the value of giving in a bold and effective way. Melinda, Warren and I are glad to have the opportunity to learn with them and from them.”
The new additions to the Giving Pledge include entrepreneurs and business leaders from a diverse set of backgrounds and sectors, including technology, medicine and biotech, real estate, and dairy farming. They will use their philanthropic resources to support a range of causes, including poverty alleviation, healthcare, education, and environmental protection.
Giving Pledge signatories convened this week at the group’s annual two-day learning conference, which provides them with the opportunity to hear from outside experts and learn from each other about how to give effectively across a range of issues. Topics discussed at this year’s annual gathering included leveraging philanthropy to drive women’s opportunities in the global economy, opportunities and challenges for giving internationally, solving environmental issues, engaging in urban renewal projects, and philanthropy’s role in advancing scientific discovery.
About the Giving Pledge
The Giving Pledge is a global effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by encouraging the wealthiest families to give the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.
The 154 pledgers range in age from 30 to 100. Globally, signatories represent 16 countries:
Australia, Brazil, China (mainland and Taiwan), Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, United Kingdom, and United States. In the United States, they are from 26 states and the District of Columbia, with the largest contingents from California and New York. Over the long-term, the Giving Pledge hopes to help shift the social norms of philanthropy toward giving more, giving sooner and giving smarter.
Pledge signatories come together throughout the year to discuss challenges, successes and failures, as well as how to be smarter about giving. The Giving Pledge does not involve direct appeals, pooling money, or requirements to support a particular cause or organization.
Although the Giving Pledge is specifically focused on billionaires, it is inspired by past and present efforts that encourage and recognize givers of all financial means and backgrounds. The inspiration is the example set by millions of people who give generously – and often at great personal sacrifice – to make the world a better place.
For the full list of pledgers and personal letters by many of these pledgers outlining their commitment to give, visit http://www.givingpledge.org.