The 242 wealthy individuals who have joined Bill Gates and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge donate to a range of causes. Several signatories have chosen science as the focus of their philanthropy, choosing to support scientific research and innovative initiatives that benefit humanity.
Here are three Giving Pledge signatories, starting with tech entrepreneur Yuri Milner, who have committed the majority of their wealth to primarily science-focused causes.
Yuri Milner made his fortune through founding top internet investment firm DST Global and Mail.ru Group, one of Europe’s leading internet companies.
A former physicist, Yuri Milner is deeply passionate about science. He has written a short book about humanity’s place in the Universe and our role in its future. This book is called Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilisation.
Yuri Milner believes that both scientists and tech entrepreneurs “ask big questions about reality — the physical, biological, and social worlds — and imagine solutions…” However, discoveries in these areas require “present investment to secure future rewards.”
Julia and Yuri Milner became Giving Pledge signatories in 2012 to formalise their commitment to science philanthropy. The couple’s Breakthrough Prize Foundation:
? Supports scientists through projects like the Breakthrough Prize. Each year, the Breakthrough Prize hands out multiple $3 million prizes to pioneers in maths, fundamental physics, and the life sciences.
? Helps spread scientific ideas to the next generation through projects like the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. The latest winner of the global science video competition is 17-year-old Sia Godika.
? Invests in state-of-the-art space science programmes, such as the Breakthrough Initiatives. Listen, the first of five Breakthrough Initiatives, uses cutting-edge telescopes to search the skies for evidence of alien intelligence.
The Breakthrough Foundation also supports Tech For Refugees. The non-profit funds the refugee relief efforts of tech industry leaders like Uber and Flexport.org.
Stephen Schwarzman co-founded private equity firm Blackstone in 1985, and he’s still the CEO and chairman of the business. Blackstone has become the largest buyout firm globally, managing $991 billion in assets. The firm’s success has seen the CEO achieve a net worth of $38 billion.
In 2020, Stephen Schwarzman signed the Giving Pledge, continuing a family tradition of charitable giving. His philanthropy has covered an array of areas over the years, from education to science.
Struck by the implications of advances in artificial intelligence (AI), Stephen Schwarzman has funded two large-scale programmes related to AI:
? The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Schwarzman College of Computing, which advances the study of AI. Founded in 2019, the college made MIT the world’s first AI-enabled university.
? Oxford University’s new Humanities Centre, which includes an Institute for Ethics in AI. The institute approaches AI-related issues from a humanities perspective rather than a technical one.
Stephen Schwarzman hopes these and other AI-focused programmes will help ensure society is ready for the changes that technology will bring about.
Jared Isaacman is the founder and CEO of payment processing firm Shift4 Payments and aerospace and defence company Draken International. Shift4 Payments handles payments for one-third of restaurants and hotels in the U.S.
Jared Isaacman has signed the Giving Pledge on behalf of himself, his wife Monica, and their two children. He has promised to donate the majority of his family’s wealth to make life better for those in need and help “build the foundation for the human advances of tomorrow.”
Jared Isaacman supports prominent children’s charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps fulfil the wishes of children with a critical illness.
In 2021, Jared Isaacman led the world’s first all-civilian space flight on SpaceX Dragon. The trip raised millions of dollars for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Jared Isaacman himself pledged $100 million to the cause. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is at the forefront of research into areas like fundamental science and childhood cancer.
The mission motivated Jared Isaacman to engage more children in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). He hopes this will inspire “the pioneers of tomorrow.”
Discover the full list of Giving Pledge signatories.
