Cavaliers owner and Nike’s chief give away a whopping $775,000,000 and top altruism list
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Nike co-founder Phil Knight have been named as two of the seven most charitable people in the world. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, there is a list with the names of seven people who stand out above the rest when it comes to charitable donations. It indicates what donations were given, and by whom they were given.
In the cases of some of the individuals on the list, the donations came as part of charitable organizations, while in the case of others, the donations were made directly. For example, in second place on the list with $500 million in charitable donations is James Simons, founder of the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies.
Together, he and his wife made charitable donations through their Simons Foundation. In the case of Phil Knight and his wife, the couple has been credited with $400 million of donations through their Knight Foundation, and personally from their own pockets.
Next to Knight's name and contribution, the Chronicle of Philanthropy lists a cause known as the 1803 Fund, which was reportedly was made to help restore and revive a black neighborhood in Portland, Oregon.
In addition to Knight at No. 4, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who notably founded Rocket Mortage, gave $375 million in funding to Henry Ford Health. He ranked fifth in the list. The donation was given with the intention of building a new rehabilitation center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Michigan.
Check out the full list below:
Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert's $375 million donation in his son's honor
Gilbert's massive charitable contributions also went to the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute, named after the Cavaliers' owner's late son. In 2023, the Cavaliers' owner's son passed away after a lifelong battle with neurofibromatosis.
Nick Gilbert had become a recognizable face in the NBA community ever since representing the Cavs at the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery. That year, the Cavs wound up getting the first pick of the draft and used it to get Kyrie Irving.
Nick's outgoing persona and kind-hearted nature captivated fans, who continued to support him in the years that followed. Dan Gilbert's donation to create the Nick Gilbert Fibromatosis Institute is expected to help fund research of the medical condition.
With 2023 behind us and the new year underway, it will be interesting to revisit the most philanthropic individuals of 2024 list and compare.