Give It Away Now
What Bill Gates’s and Warren Buffet’s challenge to other American billionaires—give away half of all your money!—could mean in the fight against global poverty.
80
Percent of people in developing countries who live on less than $10 a day
24,000
Children under age five who die each day due to poverty
99
Percent of his wealth Buffet
has pledged to donate
2
Percent of income Americans give to charity annually
$1.2 TRILLION
Estimated net worth of American billionaires on the Forbes 400 list
80
Percent of Americans who did not bequeath money to charity upon death in 2008
$600 BILLION
Amount global charities
would gain if all those
billionaires donated 50
percent of their wealth
Updated July 28, 2010. This version corrects a typographical error originally printed in the August 2010 issue. Global charities would gain $600 billion, not $60, if American billionaires on the Forbes 400 list donated half their wealth.
Published: August 2010
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