Top 50 Most Generous American Donors Of 2014: Biggest Philanthropists In the US

The Chronicle of Philanthropy released its latest list of the 50 most generous donors in the United States of 2014. Topping the list of the country’s leading philanthropists, came in at No. 1 are perennial favorites Bill and Melinda Gates, who donated a whopping $1.5 billion bequest to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2014.

The gift was disclosed in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing, but the periodical said it was possible that Bill and Melinda Gates gave even more money to the foundation last year.

America’s top 50 most generous generous contributors (individuals and couples) gave away $9.8 billion in charitable donations in 2014, up 27.5% from the year before. The top 50 contributed $7.7 billion in 2013.

Ralph Wilson Jr., who died at age 95 in 2014, came in at Number 5 on the list of the nation’s top 50 donors, having donated approximately $1-billion, to the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. Wilson founded the Buffalo Bills football team in 1959.

The oldest living donor—retired banker David Rockefeller—is 99, and the youngest–Sean Parker, co-founder of file-sharing site Napster—is 35.  The top 10 most generous contributors, whether individuals or couples, made a total of over USD 6.2 billion, or 64 percent of the total amount.

America’s Top 50 Most Generous Givers In 2014:

1. William H. (Bill) III and Melinda F. Gates
Amount donated in 2014: $1,509,700,000

2. Ralph C. Wilson Jr.
Amount donated in 2014: $1,000,000,000

3. Theodore (Ted) Stanley
Amount donated in 2014: $652,394,500

4. Jan Koum
Amount donated in 2014: $555,975,000

5. Sean N. Parker
Amount donated in 2014: $550,000,000

6. Nicholas and Jill Woodman
Amount donated in 2014: $500,029,162

7. Michael R. Bloomberg
Amount donated in 2014: $462,000,000

8. Rachel Lambert (Bunny) Mellon
Amount donated in 2014: $411,275,000

9. Sergey M. Brin
Amount donated in 2014: $382,780,556

10. Paul G. Allen
Amount donated in 2014: $298,000,000

11. John D. and Laura Arnold
Amount donated in 2014: $218,431,253

12. Pierre and Pam Omidyar
Amount donated in 2014: $180,000,000

13. Larry Page
Amount donated in 2014: $177,300,000

14. Marc R. and Lynne Benioff
Amount donated in 2014: $154,000,000

15. T. Denny Sanford
Amount donated in 2014: $150,520,000

16. Kenneth C. Griffin
Amount donated in 2014: $150,000,000

17. Ernest and Evelyn Rady
Amount donated in 2014: $121,000,000

18. Sidney and Caroline Kimmel
Amount donated in 2014: $115,500,000

19. Steve and Connie Ballmer
Amount donated in 2014: $110,000,000

20. Fred Eshelman
Amount donated in 2014: $103,000,000

21. Gert Boyle
Amount donated in 2014: $102,000,000

22. John P. and Tashia F. Morgridge
Amount donated in 2014: $102,000,000

23. Irwin M. and Joan K. Jacobs
Amount donated in 2014: $101,566,000

24. Dennis and Carol Troesh
Amount donated in 2014: $100,000,000

25. Herb Kohl
Amount donated in 2014: $100,000,000

26. Julian H. Robertson Jr.
Amount donated in 2014: $85,000,000

27. David Rockefeller
Amount donated in 2014: $79,000,000

28. Alfred C. Warrington IV and Judy Warrington
Amount donated in 2014: $75,000,000

29. John W. (Jay) Jordan II
Amount donated in 2014: $75,000,000

30. Conrad T. Prebys
Amount donated in 2014: $70,400,000

31. Fayez S. Sarofim
Amount donated in 2014: $70,000,000

32. Jay H. Shidler
Amount donated in 2014: $69,110,797

33. Charles T. Munger
Amount donated in 2014: $65,800,000

34. Gary K. Michelson
Amount donated in 2014: $65,000,000

35. Kavitark (Ram) and Vidjealatchoumy (Vijay) Shriram
Amount donated in 2014: $61,000,000

36. Vanier Family
Amount donated in 2014: $60,000,000

37. Gordon and Llura Liggett Gund
Amount donated in 2014: $58,228,637

38. Madison (Al) and Lila Reetz Self
Amount donated in 2014: $58,000,000

39. Raymond G. Perelman
Amount donated in 2014: $56,000,000

40. Ronald O. Perelman
Amount donated in 2014: $52,742,406

41. Agnese Nelms Haury
Amount donated in 2014: $50,000,000

42. Gordon and Betty Moore
Amount donated in 2014: $50,000,000

43. Haslam family
Amount donated in 2014: $50,000,000

44. Norm Asbjornson
Amount donated in 2014: $50,000,000

45. Norman and Irma Switzer
Amount donated in 2014: $50,000,000

46. Ronald N. and Eileen Lappin Weiser
Amount donated in 2014: $50,000,000

47. Thomas Kline
Amount donated in 2014: $50,000,000

48. H.F. (Gerry) and Marguerite Brooks Lenfest
Amount donated in 2014: $49,114,189

49. Bill and Kate Corbus
Amount donated in 2014: $48,000,000

50. Jon L. Stryker
Amount donated in 2014: $43,321,908