New York City
Financier Warren Buffett announced this week he will give away $37.4 billion of his $44 billion fortune, with $31 billion going in annual installments to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. When the gift of shares in Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is fully paid out, it will double the size of the Gates Foundation and elevate Buffett into the ranks of mega-philanthropists such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. Buffett had earlier indicated his charitable bequests would begin after his death, but this week he said his admiration for the Gates Foundation convinced him to “get going” now. Buffett’s friend and fellow billionaire Bill Gates says the money will “deepen and accelerate” efforts to eradicate malaria and AIDS and strengthen inner-city U.S. schools.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzzfeature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto KnightsFeature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
-
Bombs or talks: What’s next in the US-Iran showdown?Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
