The Giving Pledge announced this week that it had added 13 new signatories to its cause. The billionaires announced to be joining the Pledge include Stephen Schwarzman and William Gross, along with a number of others from the US, UK, Canada, and Portugal. With those who have just announced their commitment to the Giving Pledge, the total number of those committed to its cause is now 216.

The Giving Pledge was created ten years ago by Bill and Melinda Gates, together with Warren Buffet. It is a public, nonbinding promise made by billionaires around the world to give a majority of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes, either during their lifetimes or in their wills.

All the signatories who have joined the Giving Pledge since May 2019 include:

• Marcel Arsenault and Cynda Collins Arsenault, United States
• Sarah and Rich Barton, United States
• Ron and Gayle Conway, United States
• William Gross, United States
• Gordon V. Hartman, United States
• Yan Huo and Xue Fang, United Kingdom
• Robert E. “Bob” and Dorothy “Dottie” King, United States
• José Ferreira Neves, Portugal
• Jim Pattison, Canada
• Chad Richison, United States
• Jeff and Marieke Rothschild, United States
• Stephen A. Schwarzman, United States
• David and Bonnie Weekley, United States

In a statement, the Giving Pledge said: ‘The newest signatories to the Giving Pledge are already deeply engaged in philanthropy, providing support to a wide range of causes including COVID relief, climate change and sustainability, education, medical research, humanitarian disaster relief, gender equality and social justice.’