- Philanthropy is the most popular hobby among billionaires, according to Wealth-X’s 2019 Billionaire Census.
- Education and the arts are among billionaires’ favorite causes to donate to, Wealth-X reports.
- Organizations fighting hunger and homelessness receive fewer donations from the world’s wealthiest people.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Philanthropy is billionaires’ favorite pastime, but the world’s richest people don’t support all causes equally, according to Wealth-X’s 2019 Billionaire Census.
The causes they choose are influenced by a variety of factors. American billionaires traditionally fund new buildings or departments at their alma maters, Wealth-X reported, while some billionaires prefer to donate to causes that will land them in the public eye, like the arts and public affairs.
Read more: The 10 most common hobbies among the richest people in world, from aviation to real estate
Keep reading to learn the top 10 causes billionaires donate to, ranked from least popular to most popular. Numbers do not add up to 100% because billionaires donate to more than one cause.
T10. Housing and shelter
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: .01%
Jeff Bezos is one of only 0.1% of billionaires who make donations to provide shelter for those experiencing homelessness, according to Wealth-X. Business Insider previously reported that Bezos's Day One Fund pledged $2 billion to organizations fighting family homelessness.
T10. Food, agriculture, and nutrition
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: .01%
Hedge fund billionaire David Tepper is among only 0.1% of billionaires worldwide who financially support organizations focused on feeding the hungry, according to Wealth-X. Tepper set up a donation drive for the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in 2010, The Wall Street Journal reported. Tepper personally pledged $2 million.
T8. Public affairs
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: 12.4%
Former hedge-fund manager George Soros is among 12.4% of billionaires worldwide who donate to organizations that focus on public affairs, according to Wealth-X. Soros' nonprofit, Open Society Foundations, aims to on support democracy through grants for projects in human rights and criminal justice, journalism, and other fields, according to its website.
Business Insider previously reported that Soros is also a major donor to liberal politicians, having spent $25 million during the 2016 presidential election to support former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
T8. Religious organizations
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: 12.4%
Wealth-X reports that 12.4% of billionaires donate to religious organizations, but perhaps no one more than the controversial founder and CEO of craft superstore chain Hobby Lobby, David Green. He has made sizeable donations of both cash and property to several Christian colleges including Liberty University, Zion Bible College, and Oral Roberts University, according to Forbes. Green also supports multiple foundations that give out Christian literature and has personally funded the distribution of 1.4 billion texts.
6. Children and youth development
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: 31.9%
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is among the 31.9% of billionaires who donate to youth development programs, according to Wealth-X.
Ballmer's foundation, the Ballmer Group, focuses "efforts to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty," according to the organization's website.
5. Environment, conservation, and animals
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: 32.6%
Environmental conservation is the fourth-most popular cause among billionaires, receiving donations from 32.6% of the world's billionaires according to Wealth-X. Tesla CEO Elon Musk anonymously donated $6 million to The Sierra Club before asking that the organization's president publicize his contributions, Bloomberg reported.
4. Healthcare and medical research
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: 57.4%
Wealth-X reports that 57.4% of billionaires have made donations in the healthcare sector. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff donated $100 million to the University of California San Francisco in 2010 to build a children's hospital that will be named after him, according to NBC.
3. Arts and culture
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: 57.6%
The controversial family that built a fortune selling OxyContin, the Sacklers, is known for its large donations to museums across the world. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York named a wing after the family following a $3.5 million donation in 1974.
The Tate Modern in London, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and The Met announced in May 2019 that they would stop accepting donations from the family following public scrutiny over OxyContin's role in the opioid crisis, according to The New York Times.
2. Social services
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: 61.7%
Wealth-X found that 61.7% of the world's billionaires donate to organizations that provide social services, a category that it says includes crime prevention, poverty reduction, and unemployment programs.
America's richest family, the Waltons, have made the economic development of their home state of Arkansas one of their three philanthropic goals, according to their foundation's website. Walmart founder Sam Walton's grandchildren plan to spend $2.2 billion between 2016 and 2021 through their foundation on social services in Arkansas, in addition to education and the environment.
1. Education
Percentage of billionaire population donating to cause: 79.5%
More billionaires donate to education than any other cause, according to Wealth-X, with 79.5% supporting the cause.
Education is at the core of the Gates Foundation's work in the United States, according to its website.