Forbes’ second annual Philanthropy special issue looks at the most generous givers and how they are changing our world. Last June, at the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy, Forbes brought together 150 billionaires and near-billionaires, plus a handful of leading social entrepreneurs, to discuss disruptive business models in philanthropy. Among those featured on the magazine cover include Bono, Bill Gates, the President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Robin Hood Founder Paul Tudor Jones, Microloan pioneer Muhammad Yunus, Dikembe Mutombo, Jeff Skoll and
Liesel Pritzker Simmons.

Actionable solutions and results from the conference
are revealed in this issue, including:


* The Philanthropic 50 (p94) Forbes, in partnership with the Philanthropic Research Institute, ranked the top 50 givers in the US in 2012. The ranking is based solely on money received in calendar year 2012. Pledges that will be paid out over future years were
not included.

 The list also incorporates the percentage of the net worth that the givers’ 2012 gifts represent, plus their total lifetime giving. Bill Gates, who gave away $1.9 billion, is ranked #1 and is still the most philanthropic person in the world, followed by Warren Buffett who gave away $1.87 billion in 2012. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg jumped into the ranks at #4, having given away $499 million in his social network’s stock to Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

Cofounder of Duty Free Shoppers Chuck Feeney, at #9, was the biggest giver in 2012 relative to the percentage of his net worth. Worth only $2 million, he gave away, through his foundation,
$313 million in 2012. Forty of the Philanthropic 50 are also on the Forbes Billionaires List. For the full list, visit:

www.forbes.com/top-givers


* The Thinker and the Salesman (p 66): The link between Bill Gates and Bono? A capitalist’s outlook on solving global poverty.


• Robin Hood, Reinvented (p 78). Paul Tudor Jones spent 25 years building a great American foundation. Now he’s upending it.


* The Anti-Paris Hilton (p 86). Liesel Pritzker Simmons ignited the breakup of one of America’s great family fortunes. What she’s done with the money is actually far more interesting.


• Banker, Builder (p 97). Celebrating the groundbreaking work of microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus.



• A Grand Experiment (p 98). Can entrepreneurial market-based philanthropy fix one of the poorest spots on Earth? Forbes leads a philanthropic SWAT team into Liberia.



• Hearts of Africa (p 106). Meet six trailblazing philanthropists lifting a continent out of poverty.

• Warren Buffett (p 96) received the inaugural Forbes 400 Lifetime

 Achievement Award for Philanthropy, presented to him by Bono.