Forbes 400 Gave Away 4.4% of Their Wealth to Charity

The fortunes of America’s 400 wealthiest people jumped by $1.4 trillion, or 21 percent, over the past 12 months, but their charitable giving has not kept pace, according to Forbes.

Members of the Forbes 400 collectively gave at least $366 billion to charitable causes over their lifetimes, according to Forbes’ 2026 analysis. [Photo: Gates Foundation]

The members of the Forbes 400 have collectively given away at least $366 billion to charitable causes over their lifetimes, $47 billion more than last year in dollar terms.

But their lifetime giving amounted to 4.4 percent of their fortunes, down from 4.6 percent in 2025 and 5 percent in 2024.

Forbes assigns each member a lifetime giving score based on estimated charitable donations relative to their wealth. The score ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 representing donations of less than 1 percent of estimated wealth and 5 representing donations of 20 percent or more.

Nearly 80 percent of the Forbes 400 received a score of 1 or 2, meaning they had given away less than 5 percent of their wealth.

More than 40 percent had given away less than 1 percent, while Forbes estimates that as many as 45 members had given nothing, or very close to nothing, to charity.

Forbes said its calculations count money actually paid out for charitable purposes and do not include funds sitting in foundations or pledges that have not yet been distributed.

The publication also cautioned that some charitable giving may not be captured because foundation filings can be delayed or because some individuals did not provide updated information.