Billionaire Giving Ratio Calculator
Calculate your donation-to-net-worth ratio and see how it compares to the world's top philanthropists. Enter your annual donations and net worth to understand how much you're giving relative to your assets.
Calculate Your Giving Ratio
When headlines ask "Which billionaire donates the most?", most readers expect a clear answer backed by numbers, not just hype. In 2025 the answer is more nuanced than a single name, but a handful of ultra‑wealthy individuals consistently top the charts. Below you’ll find the methodology we use, the latest figures, and a quick‑look table that lets you compare the biggest charitable spenders at a glance.
How we measure billionaire giving
To keep the ranking fair we rely on three core data points:
- Annual cash donations reported to the IRS Form 990 or equivalent public disclosures.
- Value of pledged assets that have been transferred to a registered foundation.
- Independent estimates from Forbes, Bloomberg Billionaires Index and the Charities Aid Foundation.
We convert all amounts to U.S. dollars, adjust for inflation to 2025, and calculate a donation‑to‑net‑worth ratio so we can compare someone with a $200 billion fortune to a $5 billion one on an even footing.
Top five billionaire donors in 2025
Bill Gates is co‑founder of Microsoft and founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest private charitable foundation. By the end of 2025 his foundation had disbursed roughly $13 billion in cash and in‑kind grants, mostly for global health, clean water and vaccine development. With a net worth of $115 billion his donation‑to‑net‑worth ratio sits at about 11 %.
Warren Buffett is the legendary investor who has pledged more than half of his fortune to charitable causes through the Buffett Foundation and direct gifts. He has donated $12 billion in 2025, primarily to the Gates Foundation, UN food programs and education initiatives. His net worth of $106 billion translates to an 11.3 % giving ratio.
MacKenzie Scott is the novelist‑turned‑philanthropist who distributes her wealth without a formal foundation, focusing on racial equity, LGBTQ+ groups and community development. In 2025 she contributed $10 billion to more than 600 nonprofits. With a net worth of $92 billion her ratio is 10.9 %.
Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon who runs the Bezos Earth Fund, Day 1 Families Fund and several education‑focused projects. His 2025 giving totals $10 billion, split 70 % toward climate mitigation and 30 % toward homelessness and early‑childhood education. Bezos’s net worth of $140 billion yields a 7.1 % ratio.
Mukesh Ambani is India’s richest industrialist, whose Reliance Foundation focuses on health, rural development and disaster relief. Ambani donated $6 billion in 2025, mainly through the foundation’s COVID‑19 relief and education scholarships. With a net worth of $91 billion his ratio stands at 6.6 %.
Side‑by‑side comparison
| Billionaire | 2025 Net Worth (USD bn) | Total Donations 2025 (USD bn) | % of Net Worth | Primary Giving Vehicle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Gates | 115 | 13 | 11.3 % | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation |
| Warren Buffett | 106 | 12 | 11.3 % | Buffett Foundation & direct gifts |
| MacKenzie Scott | 92 | 10 | 10.9 % | Independent grantmaking |
| Jeff Bezos | 140 | 10 | 7.1 % | Bezos Earth Fund & Day 1 Funds |
| Mukesh Ambani | 91 | 6 | 6.6 % | Reliance Foundation |
Why these numbers matter
Large‑scale giving shapes public policy, research agendas and even market trends. When the Gates Foundation funds a vaccine trial, that money not only accelerates health outcomes but also creates jobs for scientists and manufacturers. Similarly, the Bezos Earth Fund’s climate grants are pushing renewable‑energy startups to the forefront of venture capital.
Tracking billionaire donations helps NGOs benchmark against the biggest players and spot funding gaps. If a cause‑area sees a sudden surge (like pandemic relief in 2020), you can trace it back to a few high‑profile pledges.
Emerging trends in 2025 philanthropy
Three patterns stand out:
- Data‑driven impact: Foundations increasingly demand measurable outcomes, using dashboard tools from Bloomberg Philanthropies is a network of charitable initiatives focused on public health, environment and the arts, known for publishing rigorous impact reports as a benchmark.
- Climate priority: The Bezos Earth Fund and the Gates Foundation’s climate arm together accounted for over $5 billion of 2025 giving, reflecting a global shift toward carbon‑reduction projects.
- Effective altruism influence: Donors like MacKenzie Scott are channeling money toward organizations that score high on cost‑effectiveness, a trend popularized by the The Giving Pledge is a commitment by billionaires to give away the majority of their wealth, encouraging transparency and collaborative philanthropy.
How to stay updated on billionaire giving
The most reliable sources are:
- Forbes Real‑Time Billionaires List: Updates net‑worth figures weekly and notes major charitable moves.
- Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Offers a yearly “Philanthropy Score” that aggregates cash and in‑kind contributions.
- Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) World Giving Index: Provides country‑level data that can be cross‑referenced with individual donors.
- IRS Form 990 filings: Publicly accessible for U.S.‑based foundations; they reveal exact grant amounts.
Set up a Google Alert for each name and add them to a spreadsheet that tracks net worth, donation totals and the % ratio. A simple SUMIF formula will instantly show who tops the list at any point in the year.
Quick takeaways
- Bill Gates and Warren Buffett lead the pack with over $12 billion each in 2025 donations.
- MacKenzie Scott’s “no‑foundation” model still ranks her in the top three thanks to massive direct grants.
- Giving ratios hover around 7‑11 % for the richest donors, a figure that dwarfs the average U.S. household’s 1‑2 % charitable giving rate.
- Climate and health remain the dominant focus areas, reflecting global priorities.
- Reliable data comes from Forbes, Bloomberg, CAF and IRS filings; cross‑checking is essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are donation amounts verified?
We rely on publicly filed IRS Form 990s, audited foundation reports, and the annual disclosures that Forbes and Bloomberg publish. When a billionaire makes a private pledge that isn’t yet transferred, we note the pledged amount but only count cash actually disbursed.
Do these figures include in‑kind donations like stocks?
Yes. When a billionaire donates publicly traded shares to a foundation, the market value at the time of transfer is counted as cash‑equivalent giving.
Why is the donation‑to‑net‑worth ratio important?
The ratio normalizes giving across vastly different fortunes, letting us compare a $200 billion tech mogul with a $5 billion real‑estate billionaire on equal terms.
Will these rankings change next year?
Absolutely. Net‑worth swings, new pledges, and emerging crises (like climate events) can shift the leaderboard quickly. We update the list annually and recommend checking the source sites quarterly.
By keeping an eye on the data, you’ll not only know who gives the most, but also understand where the money is flowing and why those causes matter today.
