Well the word is out fellow social firestarters! Warren Buffet has now donated another $1.93 billion to five charitable foundations which is the third-highest amount recorded since the investor began donating ninety-nine percent of his own wealth in 2006.
On Thursday, Buffet generously donated 24.54 million Class B shares of his insurance and investment company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The donation increased from $1.51 billion in 2009 because the Class B shares have risen over thirty-five percent in the past year.
And who are the lucky foundations who are enjoying the benefits of a generous and giving Buffet? About $1.6 billion of Berkshire shares this year went to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which addresses society’s problems such as education, health and poverty.
The Microsoft mastermind and his wife’s foundation aren't the only ones rolling in Buffet’s dough (not that they are really suffering anyhow). Other shares went to the Susan Thompson Buffet Foundation (named after Buffet’s late wife), in addition to foundations set up for their children, Howard, Peter and Susan.
When Buffet isn’t busy making the money in which he donates, or donating the money that he makes, he is calling upon others to give away some of their assets as well. Last month, Gates and Buffett called on American billionaires to pledge at least half their wealth to charity. Forbes magazine in March called them the world's second- and third-richest people, trailing Mexico's Carlos Slim Helu.
Although you don’t have to be a billionaire to make a difference in our world, having a little extra pocket change, like our friend Warren Buffet, certainly never hurts. However, Buffet looks beyond his wallet and strives to encourage others to follow in his footsteps of kindness and philanthropy. Have YOU helped save the world today?
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