At the end of April, Forbes counted 77 billionaires who had donated to different causes to do with coronavirus relief. The biggest donation came from Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey. He is donating $1 billion – one quarter of his fortune. If any of the money was left over, it should go towards causes helping girls worldwide and those dealing with basic income, Dorsey has reportedly said.
Bill and Melinda Gates have been very involved in the crisis through their charitable foundation. The Microsoft founder and his wife have made the second-highest private COVID-19 donation, according to Forbes. More well-known philanthropists have pledged to the coronavirus cause, among them Jeff Skoll of Skoll Foundation, a former eBay exec, and George Soros of the hedge fund Soros Fund Management, who is also well-known for his philanthropic agency, the Open Society Foundation.
While the top 10 of donations is dominated by U.S. billionaires, Azim Premji of Indian IT corporation Wipro and Andrew Forrest of Australian iron ore producer Fortescue Metals have also made sizable donations. Both chairmen are also known for their philanthropic endeavors.
