In the world of high-dollar philanthropy, a couple is more than a love story — it’s a partnership that determines the fate of potentially billions of dollars in funding.
Take, for example, two people who will not be on the following list of the sector’s most powerful couples: Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. When the Gateses announced their impending divorce in 2021, it shook the sector as we waited to see how the split would impact their massive grantmaking. And indeed, Melinda has since decided to leave the foundation, charging forth with an expanded program of mega philanthropy that will tap her share of the fortune to support women and girls.
Setting aside the impact of a divorce, the internal dynamics of a philanthropic couple shape their giving priorities and practices, with a few common models appearing over the years. There’s the rarified retirement project, wherein a silver-haired duo create a shared foundation. In other cases, a business titan will remain focused on the corporate empire while the spouse takes the reins of family giving. Or sometimes the breadwinner calls the philanthropic shots. And these days, we’re seeing far more couples start their philanthropy at a young age, making decisions on what appears to be equal footing.
That said, even among couples with the highest profiles, it can be quite difficult to tell exactly which of the above models applies, if any, and what each party is contributing. To make this list, we mined IP’s coverage and the public record to parse out the most impactful team efforts that meet a few criteria — couples who (A) directly control a boatload of money; (B) are actively deploying that money for philanthropic ends; and (C) are doing their giving together.
The disclaimer, of course, is that we can never truly know what’s going on behind the scenes of a marriage, but we have good reason to believe that both parties are engaged in the partnerships listed below. So with that, here are the 30 most powerful couples in philanthropy, listed alphabetically.
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Brian and Tegan Acton
The Actons made their wealth from the sale of WhatsApp to Facebook for $22 billion, and in the decade since, have developed an impressive, strategic suite of philanthropic entities. They support Bay Area children and families living in poverty, provide multi-year funding for a constellation of social justice groups, and back other causes like gender equity. It’s a smart lineup that balances direct service, organizing and advocacy, and personal interests.
John and Laura Arnold
While these Texans made their fortune through oil and gas investing, their giving bears many hallmarks of brainy tech philanthropy. For one, they started giving while still in their 30s, and right out of the gate, took on ambitious, disruptive approaches to weighty topics like public health and criminal justice. A commitment to data and evidence-based giving has been a big throughline for the Arnolds via their LLC giving vehicle Arnold Ventures, but they’re full of surprises, including their latest push in support of U.S. infrastructure.
Connie and Steve Ballmer
For years, this duo has channeled a massive Microsoft fortune toward antipoverty work focused on children and families, with major footprints in the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles and Southeast Michigan, but also nationwide. Through their Ballmer Group, they’ve always been interesting players in arenas like education, placemaking, and housing, but in the past year, the Ballmers became one of the largest climate funders in the country.
Lynne and Marc Benioff
Marc Benioff’s warm and cuddly persona has bolstered his image and impact, from his advocacy for more corporate giving in his role at Salesforce to his open critiques of other billionaires. Meanwhile, he and Lynne are a unique philanthropic power couple — the rare high-dollar donors who prioritize ending homelessness, with other interests including education, healthcare and the environment.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez
Another example of how matters of the heart can profoundly shape the sector, the divorce of Bezos and MacKenzie Scott created two historic philanthropic projects, one of which is run by Jeff and fiancée Lauren Sanchez, helicopter pilot and former TV news reporter. The only unmarried couple on this list, they’ve already embarked on giving as a couple, including as executive chair and vice chair of Bezos Earth Fund.
Jacklyn and Miguel Bezos
Still more Amazon money has yielded a surprising power couple: Jeff’s mother and adoptive father, who believed in their boy’s dream of making an online bookstore, and eventually, maybe taking over the world. A $245,573 investment in 1997 ballooned into a fortune that fuels the Bezos Family Foundation, which became a heavyweight with a $710 million commitment to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in 2022.
Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg
The archetypal modern megadonor couple, Mark and Priscilla stood side by side on stage back in 2016, still in their early 30s, and announced the audacious goal of curing all disease by the end of the century. The couple and their Chan Zuckerberg Initiative have taken many interesting turns since — a pivot on education funding, a climate portfolio, a racial justice commitment, new science initiatives and a massive injection of funds to support the 2020 election. Chan and Zuckerberg have also weathered more than a few storms, including racial discrimination allegations. But these two are not going anywhere, and with a stated goal of giving away 99% of Mark’s Meta shares, will be a formidable philanthropic team for the foreseeable future.
Andrew and Peggy Cherng
Here’s a unique philanthropic story, and it all started in the Glendale Galleria mall. That’s where the first Panda Express opened in 1983, launching a chain that would amass $3.2 billion for the couple. The business partners serve as co-chairs and co-CEOs of the company, and have been ramping up their giving, most recently with a $100 million donation to City of Hope cancer centers. They also oversee corporate charitable arm Panda Cares, which has backed public schools since 1999.
Barbara and Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio’s hedge fund winnings made this couple one of the richest in Connecticut, a state with its share of wealth — and inequality. Even with the 2022 collapse of an ambitious education partnership, the Dalios hold a lot of sway in their home state. But the couple has a broad range of interests, including K-12, the arts, health, ocean conservation and economic opportunity.
Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan
This couple is an example of how a smart, place-based strategy combined with political giving can make a splash that’s larger than the dollar amounts in play might suggest. Real estate mogul Jordan and attorney Delaney have gone all-in on Oakland and racial justice, leveraging multi-year, grassroots funding through their influential Akonadi Foundation. The couple also advance their social justice goals through support for candidates in California and beyond.
Michael and Susan Dell
Another Texas power couple makes the list, and while the Dells aren’t the splashiest billionaire donors, their giving is huge. Their foundation made $159 million in grants last year, a number that is sure to grow, as the Dells dropped almost a half-billion into the endowment last year, and about the same to a donor-advised fund. Expect big moves ahead in their focus areas of education and urban poverty in the U.S., India, Israel and South Africa.
Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg
Media mogul Diller and fashion legend von Furstenberg wield power through their outsized personae perhaps as much as their material wealth. In or approaching their 80s, the New York icons are still movers and shakers in every sense, including through their philanthropy, which tends to benefit local institutions. Their biggest philanthropic coup, after a protracted battle: largely spearheading and paying for an artificial island in the Hudson River.
Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller
Hedge funder Stanley and wife Fiona, a jewelry dealer and former securities analyst, have given around $100 million annually to a mix of economic opportunity, education, the environment and health. The couple pick their recipients and then go big, pouring tens of millions into favored groups like the EDF, NYU, Harlem Children’s Zone, and antipoverty collaborative Blue Meridian Partners. And they show no signs of slowing down.
Tim Gill and Scott Miller
Deftly pairing political giving and philanthropy, Gill has been called the most powerful force for LGBTQ rights, channeling hundreds of millions from his Quark fortune toward campaigns in Colorado and nationally, and recently turning to democracy. Miller, who tied the knot with Gill in 2009, is currently U.S ambassador to Switzerland, no big deal. He had to leave his role at the Gill Foundation when he took the job, but expects to return to his post.
Hannelore and Jeremy Grantham
We’ve seen an influx of billionaire donors taking an interest in climate change in recent years, but Jeremy and Hanne Grantham have been philanthropically devoted to the environment since the 1990s, and have been outspoken about the need for climate action all along. Calling for greater climate philanthropy and investment, the couple committed another billion to the cause in 2019, keeping them firmly among the top green donors.
Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin
Tapping a $4.4 billion Netflix fortune, Hastings and Quillin have been active in philanthropy for some time now, making education reform and charter schools a top priority. Education is still their leading cause, but in 2020, they made waves with a $120 million gift to HBCUs, the largest of its kind at the time. Meanwhile, Patty Quillin is a quietly influential political player in California, giving millions for candidates and ballot races. Look for more activity on the horizon, as Hastings donated over a billion in Netflix stock to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, likely into a donor-advised fund that will pay out in years to come.
Harriet Heyman and Michael Moritz
Based in the Bay Area, Moritz is a journalist turned author turned tech VC. Then there’s Heyman, also a former journalist and author, who mid-career decided to become a successful sculptor. Oh, and they also have a foundation that has shot into the stratosphere of U.S. giving in recent years. Crankstart has been around for a long time, but only recently became a heavyweight, giving $204 million in 2023, with a big emphasis on the Bay Area. Programs include climate, democracy, education, housing and science.
Mellody Hobson and George Lucas
You nerds obviously know George Lucas, but you might not know just how important the Star Wars creator and wife Mellody Hobson, investor and Starbucks chair, are in the world of philanthropy. The George Lucas Family Foundation has over a billion in the bank, and supports a wide range of causes, including arts institutions, Chicago nonprofits (Hobson’s hometown), health and research, and universities. They’ve also been influential, longstanding K-12 donors through the separate George Lucas Educational Foundation. Hobson is otherwise a mover and shaker in the sector, serving as a trustee at the Rockefeller Foundation and sitting on several other boards.
Amos and Barbara Hostetter
Few funders hold more power in Massachusetts than the Hostetters’ Barr Foundation. The outfit has moved more than $1 billion since the late 1990s, and has a $130 million budget this year, hefty for a place-based funder. Aside from its funding for climate, arts and education, Barr has emerged as a major player in regional affairs, with the Hostetters making the transition from quiet family operation to an important, forward-facing institution, with the help of President Jim Canales.
Penny and Phil Knight
Penny doesn’t enjoy the spotlight as much as Phil, whose Nike legacy was portrayed on the silver screen by none other than Ben Affleck, after all. But they’ve been together for the whole ride, having married in 1968. Their names adorn plaques all over Oregon, thanks to billions of dollars given to eds and meds like Oregon Health Sciences University and University of Oregon. Their giving took an interesting turn last year with a $400 million racial equity commitment in support of Black Portland.
Nancy and Richard Kinder
Having given over a half-billion toward green space, education and other projects in Houston, the Kinders are literally reshaping their city, even drawing comparisons to the Rockefellers’ legacy in New York. Having co-founded Kinder Morgan, one of the largest oil and gas pipeline companies in the U.S., Richard created the Kinder Foundation with Nancy, who serves as president and CEO.
Dustin Moskovitz and Cari Tuna
Former Wall Street Journal reporter Cari Tuna and Facebook and Asana cofounder Dustin Moskovitz are very rich, worth about $14 billion. But their impact as philanthropists is equally tied to their role as thought leaders — they are perhaps the sector’s foremost champions of effective altruism through their grantmaking outfit Open Philanthropy, which operates in close coordination with their growing foundation Good Ventures. Regardless of how you feel about the effective altruism movement, the couple are driving some of the sector’s most interesting giving, including early support for protections against AI and pandemics.
Mike and Sukey Novogratz
Engaged in a range of issues, but especially democracy and criminal justice reform, the Novogratzes and their Galaxy Gives Foundation have been showing up all over the place. The couple were instrumental in the creation of One for Democracy, a philanthropic collaborative to protect U.S. democracy. Seeking to “dismantle systems of oppression,” they’re also supporters of the star-studded criminal justice REFORM Alliance and impactful outfits like The Bail Project and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
Pam and Pierre Omidyar
The Omidyars are philanthropic trailblazers in multiple ways. For one, their Omidyar Network was a leader in developing a now-popular hybrid model of funding that reaches outside the bounds of traditional foundation giving. They also back topics that many megadonors shy away from — like challenging capitalism and the role of technology in society, and launching a unique civic program to develop “cultures of belonging.”
Jeff and Tricia Raikes
The Raikes Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of young people, and the couple behind it has built a reputation for taking on big, difficult topics. That includes outspokenness about “America’s legacy of white supremacy,” funding to dismantle anti-Black racism, engaging with the education culture wars, and taking on dysfunctional and inequitable public school funding.
Jon Stryker and Slobodan Randjelović
There aren’t many architects in the ranks of the world’s powerful donors, but here are two of them. Stryker is also the heir to a medical technology fortune, which he’s leveraged to become one of the most prominent LGBTQ funders and political donors in the country. He carries out his philanthropy with husband and longtime partner Slobodan Randjelović, also an architect and an author, through the Arcus Foundation, which also supports protection of apes.
Eric and Wendy Schmidt
Eric and Wendy Schmidt have been a huge philanthropic power couple for many years, funding both personal and shared interests. Wendy leads the couple’s giving, as head of the Schmidt Family Foundation, Schmidt Ocean Institute, and the 11th Hour Project. They also cofounded Schmidt Sciences, which funds in areas like AI, astrophysics, biosciences and climate.
Liz Simons and Mark Heising
We lost Jim Simons this year, half of an all-time-great philanthropic power couple with wife Marilyn Simons. But the Simons family’s wealth has (so far) yielded two couples worthy of our list, the first being Liz, a former teacher and nonprofit leader, and Mark Heising, founder of investment firm Medley Partners. Their Heising-Simons Foundation has become a formidable West Coast institution, granting $167 million last year toward science, early education, climate change, journalism, human rights in the U.S., and emerging topics like threats posed by AI.
Laura Baxter-Simons and Nat Simons
Laura and Nat aren’t quite as prominent as Liz and Mark, but are arguably just as powerful, having moved hundreds of millions of dollars almost entirely toward climate action and clean energy through their Sea Change Foundation and a Bermuda-based sister foundation. Both Laura and Nat are in finance, as just about everyone in this family seems to be, and also run a cleantech investment firm.
Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai
Tapping wealth from Chinese tech giant Alibaba, this Taiwanese-American-Canadian power couple — who also own several American sports teams, including the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty — exploded onto the scene with big gifts for science research. But they’ve expanded to take on social justice issues, including a $50 million commitment to racial justice. Clara seems to be in a lead role, but Joe is also involved, including as a founding board member of The Asian American Foundation.
Related:
- The 50 Most Powerful Women in U.S. Philanthropy
- The D.C. Power List: The Most Influential Philanthropists Shaping National Policy
- The Most Powerful Heirs in Philanthropy
- The 14 Most Important Players in Corporate Philanthropy
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article referred to Schmidt Sciences by its prior name, Schmidt Futures. The section on the Schmidts has also been amended to remove a reference to a story containing claims about the couple that IP could not independently verify.
