Thursday, August 5, 2010

More billionaires pledge fortunes to charity

To match feature BUFFETT/UKULELES-GIRLS/ Multi-billionaire investor, mogul, and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett eating ice cream (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – More than 30 U.S. billionaires pledged on Wednesday to give away at least 50 percent of their wealth to charity as part of a campaign by investor Warren Buffett and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Among the billionaires joining the campaign are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, entertainment executive Barry Diller, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, media mogul Ted Turner, David Rockefeller, and investor Ronald Perelman, according to "The Giving Pledge" website.

Gates and Buffett launched "The Giving Pledge" in June to convince hundreds of U.S. billionaires to give away most of their fortune during their lifetime or after their death and to publicly state their intention with a letter of explanation. The full list of billionaires and their letters can be seen at thegivingpledge.org. The Giving Pledge does not accept any money; it simply asks billionaires to make a moral commitment to give away their wealth to charity. More>>

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