Many billionaires give some of their money to charity, but some give a lot of their money to charity.
Created by Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates, the Giving Pledge invites the wealthiest people in the world to pledge more than half of their wealth to charitable causes either during their lives or in their wills. As of June, 137 ultra-wealthy individuals and families have joined the effort, with some pledging to allocate more than 99% of their money to philanthropy.
Here are nine billionaire pledgers planning to give away most of their money, and how they plan to give.
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Paul Allen, who has given away $2 billion so far, funds invaluable scientific research through the Allen Institute for Brain Science.
Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen joined the Giving Pledge in 2010. He focuses the majority of his philanthropic efforts within the Pacific Northwest, where he lives and works, particularly in the realm of science research.
His Allen Institute for Brain Science studies the genetic causes of brain diseases and disorders, as well as the functions and malfunctions of the brain that impact humans in other ways. To date, Allen has donated $2 billion to charity, according to research firm Wealth-X, including a $100 million donation last year to combat the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.
Manoj Bhargava, who has promised to donate 90% of his fortune, focuses his charitable work on alleviating human suffering.
The founder and CEO of 5-Hour Energy pledged to give more than 90% of his wealth away to charity. Much of his philanthropy aims to alleviate human suffering. His foundation has adopted over 400 projects so far, including bettering schools and hospitals, and advancing women's career education in rural India.
Another area of interest: the environment. The foundation is trying to reduce fossil fuel emissions by 50% and clean harmful chemicals from coal.
Sara Blakely has made it her life's work to help women.
Spanx founder Sara Blakely joined the Giving Pledge to "make the world a better place ... one woman at a time." Her efforts start with a program called Leg-UP, which gives other female entrepreneurs the opportunity to feature their products for free in the Spanx catalog.
Blakely has also helped women finance their college educations, funded entrepreneurship programs in girls' schools, and donated $1 million to Oprah's Leadership Academy for girls in South Africa.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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