Zuckerberg tops list of most charitable people in 2013

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife donated nearly $1 billion in Facebook stock to charity last year

(Updated to reflect comment from Silicon Valley Community Foundation)

We all know that Mark Zuckerberg is a charitable person. I mean, when you're not yet 30, and you become a multibillionaire, I get the feeling that you kind of have to give at least some away or else you risk looking like a complete tool.

The size of Zuckerberg's generosity, though, is kind of incredible. He does seem to go above and beyond what most would ask of him to give.

In 2013, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, topped the list of the largest donors in the country, according to a new list put out by  The Chronicle of Philanthropy on Monday.

Together, the two donated 18 million shares of Facebook stock, which amounts to a whopping $992.2 million. The money was given to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Mountain View, California that says on the About Us section of its website that it provides investment management and guidance “on the art and science of giving.”

“We provide visionary community leadership by identifying emerging challenges in our region. We address those challenges through our grantmaking programs, our research and our ability to bring together diverse groups of problem-solvers. We build and energize a community of philanthropists who strengthen the common good,” the organization says.

Zuckerberg previously donated 18 million shares of Facebook stock to the same charity in 2012, which was then worth $500,000. 

At only 29 years old, Zuckerberg is the youngest person to ever top this list. His age is even more startling when it is revealed that the median age of donors was 72.5 years old.

Like I said earlier, Zuckerberg has spent the last few years becoming more philanthropic and involved in politics. 

In 2010, he signed The Giving Pledge, a campaign started by Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to encourage the wealthiest people in society to give away at least 50% of their money in their lifetime.

That same year Zuckerberg founded the Startup: Education foundation, and donated $100 million to the public school system of Newark, New Jersey.

He has also held fundraisers for two New Jersey politicians: Senator Cory Booker and Governor Chris Christie (I wonder if Zuck is regretting the second one right about now).

How exactly Zuckerberg and Chan will spend the $1.5 billion they have donated to the organization is not yet know, and "charities are eagerly awaiting news," according to the report.

So far, around $4 million of it has gone to a Boston education start-up that gathers data to assess progress at public schools. Another $5 million went to a community health clinic for low-income families in East Palo Alto.

The Silicon Valley Community Foundation is not offering up any information.

“We were thrilled to receive the gift of Facebook stock from Mark and Priscilla last year, and to continue partnering with them in their philanthropy. We believe their generosity will improve the lives of thousands of people both locally and around the world," Silicon Valley Community Foundation CEO and president Emmett Carson said in a statement supplied to VatorNews.

Silicon Valley represented

Zuckerberg is not the only Silicon Valley entrepreneur to appear on the list

Coming in at number 9 was Google co-founder Sergey Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki, who donated $219 million to the Brin Wojcicki Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison donated $72.2 million to the Lawrence Ellison Foundation, making him the 26th most philanthropic person in 2013. 

(Image source: https://www.businessinsider.com)