In the world of extreme wealth, the headlines usually track who is winning the “Trillion-Dollar Race.” Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Page are the usual stars, with every dollar they gain treated like points on a scoreboard. But this week, as Forbes releases its annual Top 25 Philanthropists list, a very different ranking gained spotlight—and the richest men are nowhere near the top.
While Elon Musk sits on $788 Billion, his “Philanthropy Score” is stuck at 1. His lifetime giving is tiny compared to his wealth. Jeff Bezos has done slightly better, but with only 1.6% of his net worth donated, he still falls far behind in real impact. So, if the household names aren’t leading, who is?
Warren Buffett: America’s most generous billionaire
Warren Buffett, often called the world’s most generous person, continues to set the gold standard for giving, even after retiring as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the age of 95 at the end of 2025. According to Forbes, over his lifetime, Buffett has donated $68.3 billion, an increase of $6.3 billion compared to last year. His giving focuses on health and poverty alleviation.
Last June, according to Forbes, Buffett made his annual summer donation of Berkshire Hathaway stock, giving $6 billion this year, up from $5.3 billion the year before. The donation went to the Gates Foundation and four Buffett family foundations.
In addition, in November, he donated another $1.3 billion to family charities. These include three foundations run by his children and one named in honour of his late wife. With 32% of his $146 billion net worth already given away, he continues to top the list.
America’s 25 most generous billionaires in 2026- Forbes
Apart from Buffet, at the top of the 2026 list is a group of billionaires whose total giving moves $26 billion a year into the hands of people and organisations that need it most.
1. Warren Buffett
Lifetime Giving: $68.3B (+$6.3B)
Net Worth: $146B | Percentage Given: 32%
Focus: Health, poverty alleviation
2. Bill and Melinda Gates
Lifetime Giving: $52.6B (+$4.9B)
Net Worth: $134B | Percentage Given: 28%
Focus: Health, poverty alleviation
3. MacKenzie Scott
Lifetime Giving: $26.4B (+$7.2B)
Net Worth: $30.9B | Percentage Given: 46%
Focus: Education, economic equity
4. Michael Bloomberg
Lifetime Giving: $25.4B (+$4.3B)
Net Worth: $109B | Percentage Given: 19%
Focus: Climate, health, education
5. George Soros
Lifetime Giving: $24B (+$1B)
Net Worth: $7.5B | Percentage Given: 76%
Focus: Democracy, human rights
6. Marilyn Simons
Lifetime Giving: $10.3B (+$0.9B)
Net Worth: $32.6B | Percentage Given: 24%
Focus: Science, math
7. Steve and Connie Ballmer
Lifetime Giving: $6.5B (+$1.5B)
Net Worth: $141B | Percentage Given: 4%
Focus: Economic mobility
8. Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan
Lifetime Giving: $6.1B (+$1B)
Net Worth: $213B | Percentage Given: 3%
Focus: AI-powered biology
9. Sergey Brin
Lifetime Giving: $5.1B (+$1.2B)
Net Worth: $249B | Percentage Given: 2%
Focus: Parkinson’s, climate change
10. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos
Lifetime Giving: $4.7B (+$0.6B)
Net Worth: $250B | Percentage Given: 2%
Focus: Climate, homelessness
11. Phil and Penny Knight
Lifetime Giving: $4.5B (+$0.5B)
Net Worth: $31.8B | Percentage Given: 12%
Focus: Education, medical research
12. Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna
Lifetime Giving: $4.3B (+$0.8B)
Net Worth: $10.5B | Percentage Given: 29%
Focus: Global health, AI safety
13. Barbara Picower
Lifetime Giving: $4.1B (+$0.5B)
Net Worth: <$1B | Percentage Given: N/A
Focus: Democracy, medical research
14. Lynn and Stacy Schusterman
Lifetime Giving: $4B (+$0.5B)
Net Worth: $4.4B | Percentage Given: 47%
Focus: Education, Jewish community
15. Edythe Broad
Lifetime Giving: $3.6B (+$0.1B)
Net Worth: $7B | Percentage Given: 34%
Focus: Education, arts
16. Michael and Susan Dell
Lifetime Giving: $3.3B (+$0.4B)
Net Worth: $139B | Percentage Given: 2%
Focus: Education, economic stability
17. Pierre and Pam Omidyar
Lifetime Giving: $3.1B (+$0.1B)
Net Worth: $12.1B | Percentage Given: 20%
Focus: Poverty, human rights, education
18. Eric and Wendy Schmidt
Lifetime Giving: $2.9B (+$0.6B)
Net Worth: $37.2B | Percentage Given: 7%
Focus: Education, scientific research
19. Billi Marcus and family
Lifetime Giving: $2.7B (+$0.7B)
Net Worth: <$1B | Percentage Given: N/A
Focus: Medical research, Jewish causes
20. Ken Griffin
Lifetime Giving: $2.5B (+$0.1B)
Net Worth: $51.8B | Percentage Given: 5%
Focus: Medical research, education
21. George Kaiser
Lifetime Giving: $2.5B (+$0.3B)
Net Worth: $15.7B | Percentage Given: 14%
Focus: Education, health
22. John and Laura Arnold
Lifetime Giving: $2.3B (+$0.2B)
Net Worth: $2.9B | Percentage Given: 44%
Focus: Education, criminal justice reform
23. Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin
Lifetime Giving: $2.2B (+$0.1B)
Net Worth: $4.9B | Percentage Given: 31%
Focus: Education
24. Donald Bren
Lifetime Giving: $2.1B (unchanged)
Net Worth: $19.2B | Percentage Given: 10%
Focus: Education, conservation
25. Charles Koch
Lifetime Giving: $2B (+$0.1B)
Net Worth: $73.8B | Percentage Given: 3%
Focus: Education, poverty alleviation