Boston, MA 02/11/2014 (wallstreetpr) – Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg topped the list of the most generous people in the U.S. in 2013. It was also a year when more billions were donated than the previous year.
The crew of U.S. top 50 biggest donors gave away a total of $7.7 billion in 2013. That was 4 percent above what was donated by the top 50 in 2012. Last year’s median donation was $86.1 million. In 2012 it was $49.6 million.
As to why the rich were so generous in 2013, fingers are being pointed at boom in the stock market and improving economic situation which ended up putting a lot of billions into the pockets of the rich. And so they felt moved to boost their charity causes.
How did Zeckerberg do it?
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) CEO and his wife Priscilla Chen emerged as the most generous couple in 2013. The duo donated a total of $1 billion, most of it in form of Facebook stock to charities such as the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.
Through that massive donation which involved about 18 million shares of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), Silicon Valley Community Foundation ended up being one of the biggest charity foundations in the U.S. The foundation provides grants to nonprofits.
Beyond being the most generous couple last year, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) CEO and wife were also the youngest donors in the year. In 2013, the median age of the top 50 donors was 72. Mr. Zuckerberg and his wife Chen are 29 and 28 respectively.
Next in line
The donation from Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) boss and his wife was trailed in second place by that from billionaire George Mitchell, who donated $750 million, posthumously. The billionaire died last July at 94. The donation went to support a charitable organization called Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation. The foundation provides grants for natural gas sustainability, clean environment projects and clean energy.
