Meet the 14 Billionaire Families and Individuals Who Joined the Giving Pledge in 2025

<img decoding="async" class="wp-image-1607295 size-full-width" src="https://observer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/12/Giving-Pledge.png?w=970" alt="Eight headshots of seven men and one women placed in two rows " width="970" height="863" data-caption='Pictured clockwise from top left: Drew Houston, Lisa Sonsini, Jim Mckelvey, Bob Lurie, Glen Tullman, Noubar Afeyan, Craig Newmark, Cameron Adams. <span class=”media-credit”>Photos:: Big Event Media, Craig Barritt, Ben Gabbe/Association of Magazine Media, Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle, Kimberly White/TechCrunch, Alex Kent, Arturo Holmes, Katie Jones/Variety for Getty Images</span>’>

The founders of Moderna, Canva and Craigslist are among a new wave of ultra-wealthy figures pledging to give away the bulk of their fortunes. The Giving Pledge, a philanthropic campaign that just marked its 15th anniversary, has long attracted billionaires inclined toward large-scale giving, and this year was no exception. In 2025, 14 new signatories joined the pledge, bringing its total membership to nearly 260 and ushering in a new cohort of influential figures shaping global philanthropy.

The Giving Pledge began in 2010 with just 40 signatories, including founders Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Its core commitment encourages members to donate at least half of their wealth over the course of their lifetimes. Over the years, the roster has expanded to include prominent figures such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Steven Schwarzman.

Despite its star power, the initiative’s real-world impact remains a subject of debate. In many cases, the wealth of members has grown faster than their giving, according to a recent report from the Institute for Policy Studies that found the combined wealth of original U.S. members has surged 283 percent over the past 15 years, with much of their philanthropy flowing into private foundations rather than direct charitable giving.

Still, the pledge continues to attract the world’s wealthiest individuals. The philanthropic priorities of this year’s new signees—ranging from cybersecurity and education to mental health and gender equality—feel particularly timely as the nonprofit sector grapples with reduced federal funding and a broader pullback in global aid.

Here’s a look at how the newest signees of the Giving Pledge say they plan to distribute their wealth in the years ahead:

Connie and Bob Lurie

• Source of wealth: commercial real estate 
• Philanthropic interests: health, education and California causes 

Bob Lurie’s fortune is tied to real estate, with his family’s Lurie Co. having at one time owned iconic San Francisco properties like the Mark Hopkins Hotel and Curran Theatre. But he is best known for his one-time ownership of the San Francisco Giants, which he acquired in 1976 to prevent the team from moving to Toronto and sold in 1992. Bob and his wife Connie have since funneled much of their wealth into philanthropy. The couple has focused heavily on early-career scientists through gifts to grantees like the Gladstone Institutes. Last year, they gave seven-figure gifts to California organizations like WeHope, San Jose State University and the Monterey Bay Aquarium through the Connie and Bob Lurie Foundation.

Craig and Eileen Newmark

• Source of wealth: Craigslist
• Philanthropic interests: veterans, cybersecurity, journalism and bird rescue 

Craig Newmark, who founded Craigslist in 1995, has shifted his focus to charity since stepping away from the classified advertisements website in 1995. By signing up for the Giving Pledge, Craig and his wife, Eileen, are doubling down on their donations to causes such as veteran support and cybersecurity. The entrepreneur has also previously funneled his wealth into journalism efforts, such as the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, and is an avid supporter of pigeon rescues.

Seemay Chou and Jed McCaleb

• Source of wealth: cryptocurrency 
• Philanthropic interests: science and technology 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that science and technology are at the forefront of Seemay Chou and Jed Mccaleb’s philanthropic interests. McCaleb, who has an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion, is the entrepreneur behind cryptocurrency firms such as Mt. Gox, Ripple and Stellar. Meanwhile, Chou co-founded the life sciences company Arcadia Science. The couple’s joint work has included running the A.I.-focused nonprofit Astera Institute and funding areas such as scientific research and digital sentience through their philanthropic vehicle, the Navigation Fund, which is partially funded by GPU rentals to A.I. companies.

Jay and Michaela Hoag

• Source of wealth: technology investments
• Philanthropic interests: health, education and Bay Area causes 

In addition to supporting higher education institutes like Northwestern University and the University of Michigan, Jay Hoag—co-founder of investment firm Technology Crossover Ventures—and his wife Michaela have funneled funds into local Bay Area organizations like Second Harvest of Silicon Valley. One of the couple’s largest passion areas, however, is Alzheimer’s research, with Michaela having helped raise millions to look for a cure.

Lisa and Matt Sonsini

• Source of wealth: real estate
• Philanthropic interests: inequality 

The Giving Pledge is a family affair for Lisa Sonsini, the daughter of real estate billionaire John Sobrato, who first signed up for the campaign alongside his son in 2012. Now Lisa and her husband Matt are joining the pledge in an effort to boost their philanthropic efforts through the Sobrato Family Foundation, which focuses on areas like income inequality, housing and sustainability, and earlier this year promised to dole out more than 25 percent of its $1 billion in assets.

Jim and Anna McKelvey

• Source of wealth: Block
• Philanthropic interests: education, technology and health

Jim McKelvey notably co-founded Block, formerly known as Square, alongside Jack Dorsey in 2009. But the businessman’s interests go beyond fintech—he’s also a supporter of glass blowing and coding-focused career programs. Jim, who has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion, and his wife Anna additionally partner with a variety of health-focused funds through Alpha Epsilon, their primary philanthropic vehicle.

Xin Liu

• Source of wealth: electronics
• Philanthropic interests: mental health and climate change 

In her Giving Pledge letter, Xin Liu pledged to spend down the Enlight Foundation, a philanthropic organization she founded in 2004, which focuses on supporting and empowering young people. Liu, who is married to Duan Yongping, founder of the BKK Electronics Group, said that her foundation’s primary funding areas going forward will include mental well-being and climate change, which she described as “two of the biggest challenges facing young people today.”

Joseph Deitch

• Source of wealth: financial services
• Philanthropic interests: education and social impact

In the late 1970s, Joseph Deitch co-founded broker-dealer Commonwealth Financial Network. But his interests don’t stop there. Deitch has also ventured into real estate, Broadway producing and philanthropy. Some of his most notable charitable efforts include founding the Deitch Leadership Institute at Boston Latin School and establishing the Elevate Prize Foundation, which annually awards millions of dollars to recognize and support social impact leaders.

Bharat Desai and Neerja Sethi

• Source of wealth: IT consulting 
• Philanthropic interests: education and economic mobility

Bharat Desai and Neerja Sethi are a power couple in IT consulting. The duo, who have an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion, launched Syntel in the 1980s while working from their Michigan apartment. Now, they’re partnering up to join the Giving Pledge and continue their philanthropic support of education, economic mobility and aiding underserved youth through organizations like the Desai Sethi Foundation and Ds Foundation.

Glen Tullman

• Source of wealth: health care 
• Philanthropic interests: health and education

The philanthropic interests of Glen Tullman, CEO of digital health startup Transcarent, remain closely tied to the office. Donations from the executive, who also formerly led health company Livongo, have been primarily channeled into health care thus far, alongside investments in education. His most recent charitable commitment will see Tullman pledge $100 million to boost diabetes research, as announced in his Giving Pledge letter.

Noubar Afeyan and Anna Afeyan Gunnarson

• Source of wealth: biotech
• Philanthropic interests: humanitarian causes, education, science and health

Biotech company Moderna, co-founded by Noubar Afeyan, gained mainstream recognition a few years ago when it developed a COVID-19 vaccine. Afeyan is also the founder of the life sciences-focused venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering and has an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion. Alongside his wife, Anna, the billionaire is now preparing to increase his donations to causes such as science and technology, education and health care. The duo is also a major backer of humanitarian causes through efforts such as the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, which highlights the work of humanitarian leaders worldwide and awards the annual $1 million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.

Drew and Erin Houston

• Source of wealth: Dropbox
• Philanthropic interests: science and technology

Drew Houston is the co-founder and CEO of Dropbox, a file-sharing service whose popularity has helped grow his fortune to an estimated $2.1 billion. By becoming members of the Giving Pledge, Drew and his wife Erin are now committed to funneling some of that net worth into areas like STEM research and open-source tech initiatives. The couple’s former philanthropic activity has included supporting the Dropbox Foundation, which was founded in 2018 to support human rights organizations globally.

Cameron Adams and Lisa Miller

• Source of wealth: Canva
• Philanthropic interests: environment

The $3.8 billion fortune of Cameron Adams largely stems from Canva, the software design maker he helped found more than a decade ago. His wife Lisa Miller, meanwhile, leads the Australian couple’s nature-focused investment fund, the Wedgetail Foundation, which primarily supports causes like biodiversity. The environment will remain at the forefront of their philanthropic focuses going forward as Adams and Miller commit to halting and reversing the decline of nature. “Through the Giving Pledge, we are directing the majority of our wealth toward this, because the alternative—inaction on a dying planet—is unacceptable,” said the duo in their pledge letter.

Muna Easa Al Gurg

• Source of wealth: Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group
• Philanthropic interests: gender equality and education

Muna Easa Al Gurg, a businesswoman from Dubai, serves as vice chairperson and director of retail for her family business Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, a UAE conglomerate. Expect gender equality to be one of the philanthropic areas she supports in the years ahead. In addition to launching a scholarship for female MBA students at London Business School, Al Gurg is a supporter of initiatives like the 30 percent Club, an organization promoting gender balance in leadership roles.