In this episode of Beyond the Billions, Deputy Editor Giacomo Tognini and Forbes Executive Editor Luisa Kroll, conduct a deep dive into the world of billionaire philanthropy. They investigate the motivations and lives of the planet's wealthiest individuals, scrutinizing their massive, often image-driven, donations—from the "pinky handshake" to nine-figure gifts. The discussion dissects whether these contributions are truly genuine charity or calculated maneuvers for tax advantage. As wealth continues to compound faster than figures like Buffett and Gates can donate, the episode highlights revolutionary philanthropists such as MacKenzie Scott, whose "no strings attached" giving is setting a new standard for putting billions to work.
00:00 This Week’s Billionaires Recap
01:52 Billionaire Encounters And Public Perception
06:36 Why $100M is the New Small Donation
08:27 Why Rising Net Worths May Not Equal Rising Donations
11:49 Elon Musk And His Minimal Giving
14:03 America’s Most Effective Philanthropist Is Not Who You Think
18:13 Effective Giving: Finding the Biggest Bang for the Billion
26:51 Billionaires vs. The Government: Who Fixes the World?
To read more about America's most generous philanthropists in 2025: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeswealthteam/2025/02/03/americas-most-generous-philanthropists-2025/
To read more about how America’s richest billionaires are not donating much more despite growing wealthier: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellamalmgren/2025/09/09/americas-richest-billionaires-keep-getting-richer-theyre-not-donating-much-more/
To read more about Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz's philanthropy: https://www.forbes.com/sites/phoebeliu/2025/11/07/cari-tuna-billionaire-open-philanthropy-facebook/
To read more about Sergey Brin's $2 billion quest to tackle Parkinson's, bipolar disorder and autism: https://www.forbes.com/sites/phoebeliu/2025/02/06/sergey-brins-2-billion-quest-to-tackle-parkinsons-bipolar-disorder-and-now-autism/
To read more about Sergey Brin’s $700 million gift of Alphabet stock: https://www.forbes.com/sites/phoebeliu/2025/05/27/where-google-cofounder-sergey-brin-is-putting-his-new-700-million-charitable-gift/
To read more about the biggest billionaire donors to HBCUs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/asia-alexander/2025/11/05/the-biggest-billionaire-donors-to-hbcus/
To read more about MacKenzie Scott's donations to HBCUs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2025/11/03/mackenzie-scotts-hbcu-donations-surge-with-172-million-in-new-gifts/
To read more about Vivek Ramaswamy’s fortune: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kylemullins/2025/11/20/vivek-ramaswamys-net-worth-has-nearly-doubled-while-hes-running-for-ohio-governor/
To read more about Larry Page’s soaring net worth: https://www.forbes.com/sites/martinacastellanos/2025/11/19/google-cofounder-larry-page-overtakes-bezos-for-worlds-third-richest-after-gemini-3-ai-model-announcement/
To read more about Walter Wang’s family feud: https://www.forbes.com/sites/luisak
