Academic

Earlier this month, David posted a list of the 10 highest paid CFOs of last year.  Since I study and write about nonprofits, I thought I?d share a similar top ten list? of the 10 philanthropic superstars of 2007.  The Chronicle of Philanthropy has just released its annual list of the Philanthropy 50 (an annual ranking of the 50 most-generous Americans of the year).  Go here for the full details.  Evidently, there were twenty gifts of $100 million or more last year, just one gift short of matching 2006?s record of 21 mega-gifts.  (Anonymous gifts?a growing phenomenon in philanthropy?are not counted on the list.)  So, who really opened up their wallets for charity last year?  How much did they give (well, technically, pledge)?

1. William Barron Hilton (Family wealth, Hotels)

$1.2-billion

2. Jon M. Sr. and Karen H. Huntsman (Chemicals)

$750.0-million

3. T. Denny Sanford (Finance)

$474.6-million

3. George Soros (Finance)

$474.6-million

5. John W. Kluge (Media and entertainment)

$400.0-million

6. Sanford I.and Joan H. Weill (Finance)

$328.5-million

7. Michael R. Bloomberg (Media and entertainment)

$205.0-million

8. T. Boone Pickens (Investments, Oil)

$200.8-million

9. Robert Day (Finance) 

$200.0-million

10. Eli and Edythe L. Broad (Finance, Real estate)

$176.0-million