Globally, there are over 5,000 UHNW-founded private foundations, according to Wealth-X. Collectively, these foundations have total assets of US $560 billion – equivalent to 19.4% of combined net worth of the UHNW individuals who established them. In the past year, these foundations gave out a total of US $45 billion, equal to 8% of their total assets.
The US is the leading country in terms of total number of UHNW-founded private foundations, followed by the UK, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong. According to Wealth-X, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation leads The World’s Largest UHNW-Led Private Foundations list.
With total assets of US $43.4 billion, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation accounts for more than half of the combined assets of the 10 charitable foundations on the list.
Collectively, the foundations on the list have total assets of US $83.1 billion – equivalent to 29.7% of combined net worth of the UHNW individuals who established them.
The Li Ka Shing Foundation, founded in 1980 by Hong Kong business magnate Li Ka-Shing, ranks second on the list with US $8.1 billion in assets. Li’s philanthropic foundation – which he refers to as his “third son” as he has pledged one-third of his assets to it – is based in Hong Kong, making it one of the four charitable foundations on the list that are located outside the US.
Also based outside the US are the Sulaiman Bin Abdul-Aziz Al Rajhi Endowments (Saudi Arabia), the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (UK), and the Carlos Slim Foundation (Mexico).
TOP 10 LARGEST UHNW-LED PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS:
1. BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION (US)
Main Causes: EDUCATION, HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES, HUMANITARIAN.
Foundation assets: 43.4 (US$ BILLIONS);
2. LI KA SHING FOUNDATION (Hong Kong)
Main Causes: EDUCATION, HEALTH
Foundation assets: 8.1 (US$ BILLIONS);
3. GORDON AND BETTY MOORE FOUNDATION (US)
Main Causes: EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT;
Foundation assets: 6.4;
4. BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES (FORMERLY BLOOMBERG FAMILY FOUNDATION) (US)
Main Causes: HEALTH;
Foundation assets: 5.4;
5. CHILDREN’S INVESTMENT FUND FOUNDATION (CIFF) (UK)
Main Causes: CHILDREN, HEALTH;
Foundation assets: 4.5;
6. SULAIMAN BIN ABDUL-AZIZ AL RAJHI ENDOWMENTS (Saudi Arabia)
Main Causes: EDUCATION;
Foundation assets: 4.3;
7. OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATION (FOUNDATION TO PROMOTE OPEN SOCIETY) (US)
Main Causes: EDUCATION,HEATH, JUSTICE, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT;
Foundation assets: 3.3;
8. SUSAN THOMPSON BUFFETT FOUNDATION (US)
Main Causes: HEALTH, SOCIAL SERVICES, EDUCATION;
Foundation assets: 2.9;
9. CARLOS SLIM FOUNDATION (FUNDACION CARLOS SLIM HELU) (Mexico)
Main Causes: EDUCATION, HEALTH, JUSTICE, HUMANITARIAN
Foundation assets: 2.6;
10. CHARLES AND LYNN SCHUSTERMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION (US)
Main Causes: JEWISH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT;
Foundation assets: 2.2.
