Jackpot! We learned last week that nine new philanthropists have joined the Giving Pledge over the past year, including at least two billionaires — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and private equity investor Jahm Najafi. That means they’ve committed to giving away at least half their wealth, which is, according to some quick math, a lot of money.
So, do we have any idea what they’ll spend it on? According to their pledge letter, Altman and partner Oliver Mulherin are, unsurprisingly, intending to focus on technology — specifically, “technology that helps create abundance for people.” Meanwhile, Najafi and his wife Cheryl say they’ll continue supporting education, the arts, and social justice and equity. “We give to programs with tangible results through economic empowerment, employment and career advancement. And as the world suffers more upheavals, we’ll keep adjusting our philanthropy to the areas of greatest need,” they write.
Meanwhile, Melinda French Gates has already started her spending spree after walking away from the Gates Foundation. Read on for more on that.