American "Stock God" Warren Buffett donated another US$6 billion (approximately HK$47.09 billion) worth of Berkshire Hathaway shares to the Gates Foundation and four other family charitable foundations on Friday (June 27). This marks his largest annual donation since he began giving nearly two decades ago.
According to Reuters, Buffett donated approximately 12.36 million Berkshire Class B shares, bringing his total charitable contributions to over US$60 billion (about HK$470.9 billion). The donations included 9.43 million shares to the Gates Foundation and 943,000 shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. He also donated 660,000 shares each to the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation, which are managed by his three children—Howard, Susan, and Peter.
Based on outstanding share data, Buffett still retains a 13.8% stake in Berkshire Hathaway. According to Forbes magazine, before this donation, his net worth stood at US$152 billion (HK$1.19 trillion), making him the fifth-richest person in the world. After this donation, his ranking is expected to drop to sixth.
The 94-year-old Buffett began donating his wealth in 2006. The value of this latest donation surpasses the US$5.3 billion (HK$41.6 billion) he donated in June last year. Additionally, in November last year, he donated US$1.14 billion (HK$8.94 billion) to family foundations.
(Source: Wen Wei Po)
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