Celebrities have a little more than us ordinary folk, and unlike other rich people, most of their charity work is in the limelight. Whether they are singing a song or making an album to raise funds for a cause, some celebrities have proven that their hearts are just as big as their pockets.
In recent years, we’ve seen Oprah build a school for girls in South Africa, Tyler Perry contribute $100,000 in aid to Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, and Beyoncé help victims of Hurricane Harvey in her neck of the woods, Houston – and that's naming but a few. Many other celebrities have given equally big donations towards causes and charities. Here are some of them.
10 Jennifer Aniston ($1 Million)
Jennifer Aniston has consistently shown her philanthropic side over the years. When she’s not appearing in a commercial that raises cancer awareness, she’s donating half a million dollars to Doctors Without Borders. Her biggest donation yet was made in light of the George Floyd murder. Aniston donated a sum of one million dollars to organizations that fight racial injustice, including Color for Change, an online racial justice establishment.
9 Leonardo DiCaprio ($3 Million)
In the past, Leonardo DiCaprio has made donations for a couple of initiatives. In 2010, he made a $1 million donation to Haiti, to aid victims of the earthquake. DiCaprio also donated the same amount following Hurricane Harvey in 2017. His biggest known donation was made in 2020, following the Australian bushfire. DiCaprio is known for his climate awareness efforts. Salvaging Australia was therefore a cause that hit close to home.
8 Taylor Swift ($4 Million)
Over the years, Taylor Swift has lent her voice to causes such as Black Lives Matter and supported efforts by institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO). Swift has also made several personal donations to the tune of a million dollars or more. Her biggest donation was a $4 million pledge she made in 2012 that would go towards the building of an education center at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum located in Nashville.
7 Jami Gertz ($5 Million)
Billionaire actress Jami Gertz donated a total of $5 million in 2020 as part of a strategy to empower black businesses in Atlanta. The donation was made to the Herman J. Russell Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Through the Ressler-Gertz Family Foundation, the Atlanta Hawks co-owner unveiled a $40 million sustainable long-term plan that will be executed in collaboration with the NBA Foundation.
6 Rihanna ($5 Million)
Rihanna has participated in several charity-driven causes. In 2006, she created the Believe Foundation which worked extensively with terminally ill children. In 2012, she established the Clara Lionel Foundation to honor her grandparents. When the pandemic hit, Rihanna partnered with Jay-Z and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, jointly offering more than $5 million towards relief efforts.
5 Beyoncé And Jay-Z ($15 Million)
Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z have made a ton of donations through the years. In 2016, the couple donated $1.5 million towards Black Lives Matter. Beyonce partnered with NAACP to create a fund that supports black-owned businesses. One of her biggest donations yet was made in 2016 to the Usain Bolt Foundation. The donation led to Beyoncé being named one of the most charitable celebrities that year by the website DoSomething.org.
4 Oprah Winfrey ($36 Million)
Oprah Winfrey has time and again insisted on giving and its importance. Through the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, she has made numerous charity donations, the latest of which was a $10 million COVID relief donation. Her foundation manages assets in the millions. Winfrey once donated $36 million of her own money towards the foundation. Her biggest work yet is the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa, a school for girls with underprivileged backgrounds.
3 Michael Jordan ($100 Million)
Michael Jordan has done a lot of work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to the tune of raising $5 million. Individually, he has made donations to a number of organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. In light of the Black Lives Matter campaign, Jordan pledged $100 million over the next 10 years. His biggest donation up until the pledge was $7 million that went towards funding the Jordan Clinics.
2 Jeff Bezos ($200 Million)
He is the richest man in the world, and definitely one of the most philanthropic. Following his travel to space, Jeff Bezos donated $200 million to celebrate ‘courage and civility’. The amount, he said, would go to Van Jones and chef Jose Andres. Jones and Andres would each receive $100 million and had the power to share the wealth or give it all to a charity of their choosing. This came in the wake of an uproar that Bezos and Billionaire Richard Branson had ‘wasted’ billions in space travel.
1 Bill Gates ($5 Billion)
It’s no secret that Bill Gates has given away most of his fortune. By 2019, it was estimated that Gates, who was once the richest man in the world, had given at least $45 billion away. That year alone, the mogul gave away an estimated $5 billion. Gates and ex-wife Melinda, through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, have donated towards different causes, including medical research.
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