In 2010, 40 of the wealthiest people in the U.S. signed the Giving Pledge, promising to donate most of their wealth to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues. As of 2024, there are now 242 pledgers hailing from 29 countries, including the UK, the Netherlands, and Australia.
In addition to individual billionaires, numerous couples have signed the Giving Pledge. Here are four couples — including Breakthrough Prize co-founders Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan and Julia and Yuri Milner — who have committed to a lifetime of philanthropy.
- Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan are among the original Giving Pledge signatories. In their pledge letter, they explain that promoting equality and advancing human potential drives their philanthropy. They have vowed to devote their resources and personal time and energy to ensuring future generations access “the greatest opportunities possible.”
The couple established the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) in 2015 to help address some of society’s largest challenges. CZI’s mission is to create a more fair, inclusive, and healthy future for everyone. The initiative’s primary focus areas are:
- Science: CZI plans for scientists to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of the 21st century.
- Education: CZI prioritizes an equitable, whole child approach to education that champions values like mental and physical health alongside academic development.
- Community: CZI works to create more opportunities for Californian communities, with a focus on the Bay Area.
- Patrice And Precious Motsepe
Precious and Patrice Motsepe signed the Giving Pledge in 2013, becoming the first people on the African continent to join the movement. Patrice Motsepe is a South African entrepreneur and the country’s first Black billionaire.
The couple founded the Motsepe Foundation in 1999. Its ethos derives from the African concept of “ubuntu,” which emphasizes community support and humanity’s interconnectedness.
The Foundation works to improve quality of life for women and young people in South Africa. It also supports unemployed, poor, disabled, or marginalized South Africans.
The Motsepe Foundation’s programs include:
- The Center for Gender Equality, Wellness, and Leadership, which seeks to eliminate gender inequality and uplift Africa’s women and girls.
- The Bursary Program, which awards scholarships to underprivileged, academically deserving South African students.
- The ABC Motsepe League, which encourages and supports community clubs to play in the South African Football Association.
- Bongjin Kim and Bomi Sul
Bomi Sul and Bongjin Kim became the first Koreans to sign the Giving Pledge in 2021. Bongjin Kim founded Woowa Brothers, which operates South Korea’s largest food delivery app.
In 2017, the couple publicly promised to donate around $9 million over three years. Having kept their promise, the two then joined the Giving Pledge. They have vowed to give away more than half of their wealth to society during their lifetime.
In their pledge letter, Bongjin Kim shares that he first felt inspired to join the Giving Pledge in 2010, when he heard about its inception. At the time, he was leading a company with fewer than 20 employees, but he had a “wild dream” of making the pledge himself one day.
The couple hopes to “resolve the issue of educational inequality, support arts and culture, and establish an organization that could help philanthropic institutions in carrying out their work.”
- Julia And Yuri Milner
Julia and Yuri Milner joined the Giving Pledge in 2012. The couple’s Breakthrough Foundation supports their non-profit initiatives, which include:
- The Breakthrough Prize, the world’s biggest award for scientists and mathematicians.
- The Breakthrough Initiatives, a set of pioneering space science programs focused on solving the deepest mysteries of life in the cosmos.
- The Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global science video competition for high schoolers. The competition takes place annually and encourages teenagers everywhere to engage with scientific ideas.
- Tech For Refugees, which funds the refugee relief programs of tech organizations like Uber, Flexport.org, and Airbnb.org.
The Milners’ pledge letter focuses on Yuri Milner’s interest in science philanthropy and the importance of investing in humanity’s shared future. He explores these topics further in his short book Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilization (2021).
Read Eureka Manifesto online for free.