The philanthropists include a biotech funder, an Australian graphic design entrepreneur, and a cofounder of the tech firm now known as Block.
In its largest cohort since 2021, the Giving Pledge announced 11 new signatories in 2025 who have committed to donating the majority of their wealth to charitable causes either during their lifetime or through their wills. Nine of the new signatories are from the United States, one is from Australia, and one is from the United Arab Emirates. Six of the new pledgers are members of the Forbes billionaires list, with a combined estimated net worth of $9.3 billion.
The wealthiest among the new signatories is Cameron Adams, with an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion. He is the cofounder and chief product officer of graphic design software company Canva. Adams joins Canva’s married cofounders, Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, who signed the pledge in 2021. He signed the pledge alongside his wife, Lisa Miller. The couple’s Wedgetail Foundation focuses on conserving and restoring biodiversity.
The second wealthiest new signatory is Drew Houston, worth an estimated $2.1 billion. He is the cofounder and chief executive officer of file hosting service Dropbox and joined the pledge with his wife, Erin. Other signatories include Syntel founder Bharat Desai, with an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion, and his cofounder and wife Neerja Sethi, worth an estimated $1 billion. Their philanthropy supports economic mobility, education, and entrepreneurship.
Additional signatories include Square, now known as Block, cofounder Jim McKelvey, worth an estimated $1.6 billion, who signed alongside his wife Anna. Also joining the pledge are Noubar Afeyan, founder and chief executive officer of Cambridge, Massachusetts based life sciences venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering, worth an estimated $1.2 billion, and his wife Anna Afeyan Gunnarson.
Other new members of the Giving Pledge include Emirati businesswoman Muna Easa Al Gurg, Joseph Deitch, the founder and chairman of investment advisory firm Commonwealth Financial Network, and venture capitalist Jay Hoag and his wife Michaela. Michaela Hoag is the founder of Part the Cloud, an organization that raises funds for Alzheimer’s disease research.
The Giving Pledge was established in 2010 by billionaire philanthropists Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Fifteen years ago, the initiative launched with 40 American philanthropists. Since then, more than 210 individuals have signed the pledge, including some of the world’s wealthiest people such as Elon Musk, with an estimated net worth of $430 billion, and Mark Zuckerberg, with an estimated net worth of $221 billion. The pledge has also attracted wealthy philanthropists from countries around the world, including India, Indonesia, and others.
The Giving Pledge is a moral commitment rather than a legally binding contract, and the organization does not audit the charitable giving of its signatories. Some pledgers, such as Charles Feeney, who died in 2023 and was the cofounder of Duty Free Shoppers, donated far more than half of their wealth to charitable causes. For many other signatories, including some who have since passed away, it remains unclear whether they ultimately fulfilled their philanthropic commitments.
Additional reporting by Thomas Gallagher.
