After donating nearly a billion dollars worth of Facebook shares last year, Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan have been named the most generous American philanthropists of 2013.
That's according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, which compiles an annual top 50 list of American charitable donors. (Via The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
The Chronicle reports Zuckerberg and Chan donated 18 million Facebook shares worth $970 million to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which provides grants for nonprofits, in December of last year. (Via HLN)
But Zuckerberg and Chan weren't the only ones to leave generous donations. (Via Al Jazeera)
The top 50 philanthropists of 2013 combined for a whopping $7.7 billion in total donations, plus additional future pledges of $2.9 billion — nearly doubling the median donation from 2012. (Via MSNBC)
Rounding out the top five donation-givers is late fracking pioneer George Mitchell, Nike co-founder Philip Knight, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and hedge fund founder John Arnold.
CNN notes Zuckerberg accounted for 13 percent of the money donated by the top 50 last year. Meanwhile, the remainder of the top five and Zuckerberg account for around two-thirds of the total money given away by the top 50.
Other popular names in the top 50 include Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, CNN founder Ted Turner and business magnate Warren Buffett. Forty-two of 2013's top 50 made donations of $50 million or more.
