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The Slate 60: Analysis of the Year's Biggest Philanthropists.

The 2007 Slate 60

The 60 Largest American Charitable Contributions of the Year

Rank Donor Source of Wealth Amount Donated/Pledged Amount Paid Payment recipients Notes
1 Leona HelmsleyHotels, real estate 4.0 billion   Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust The majority of her assets, including cash from the sale of her homes and other property, was directed to this trust.
2 Barron HiltonHotels 1.2 billion   Conrad N. Hilton Foundation A contribution of proceeds from the sale of Hilton Hotels Corporation and the pending sale of Harrah's Entertainment into a charitable remainder trust.
3 Jon M. Huntsman, Karen HuntsmanBusiness 627.0 million   Huntsman Cancer Foundation, Utah Department of Health, Utah State University To begin an awareness campaign about HPV and provide low-cost vaccines to eligible women.
4 T. Denny SanfordFinance 502.6 million   Burnham Institute for Medical Research, Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation, Other groups, San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, Sanford Foundation, Sioux Valley Hospital Sioux Valley Hospital: Create 5 pediatric clinics around the country and link the clinics with research being done at a new Sioux Falls children's hospital. Sanford Health will also select and fund one major research project that's yet to be decided. Burnham Institute for Medical Research: Form a link between Sanford Health, with its new pediatric research goals, and a nationally recognized medical research firm. Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation: A matching grant to help finish the memorial. Sanford announced a contribution after publication that brings his total to $502.6 million
5 George SorosFinance 474.6 million   Open Society Institute, Soros Humanitarian Foundation  
6 John W. KlugeTelecommunications 400.0 million   Columbia University Half would go to scholarships for undergrads at Columbia College and the other half to scholarships and fellowships in other parts of the university.
7 Sanford I. Weill, Joan WeillFinance 328.5 million   Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Foundation, Carnegie Hall, Cornell University, Other groups, Weill Cornell Medical College For its capital campaign -- "Discoveries That Make a Difference"; to help fund its New Life Sciences Initiative.
8 Michael BloombergMedia and entertainment 205.0 million   Other groups The total includes Bloomberg's personal giving, his shares of his company’s giving, and his foundation’s giving to 1,100 different organizations.
9 Boone PickensOil, investments 200.0 million   T. Boone Pickens Foundation  
9 Robert A. Day  200.0 million   Claremont McKenna College, Southern California Institute of Architecture Claremont McKenna College: To create the Robert Day Scholars Program, a unique academic program that builds upon the best elements of an undergraduate liberal arts education with state-of-the-art curricula in finance, accounting, and organizational leadership. Southern California Institute of Architecture: For technology and facilities to educate architecture students.
11 John P. Morgridge, Tashia F. MorgridgeTechnology 179.0 million   Friends of Hoyt Park and Pool Inc., Fund for Wisconsin Scholars Fund for Wisconsin Scholars: A founding gift to create a permanent endowment to provide financial grants for eligible, lower-income talented graduates of Wisconsin public schools attending a Wisconsin public post-secondary school. Friends of Hoyt Park and Pool Inc.: A new outdoor swimming pool.
12 Eli Broad, Edythe L. BroadFinance, real estate 176.0 million   Chicago Public Schools, Michigan State University, University of California at Los Angeles Michigan State University: For a new art museum. Chicago Public Schools: To update their administrative capabilities. University of California at Los Angeles: To fund adult and embryonic stem-cell research.
13 Barbara Dodd AndersonFamily wealth 128.5 million   George School To support current strategic goals of the school, which emphasize three areas key to the school's mission -- student financial aid, faculty and staff compensation, and leadership in the area of environmental sustainability -- over 20 years.
14 David H. KochOil 123.0 million   Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Other groups, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center To build a new cancer research center that will bring together scientists and engineers under one roof to develop new and powerful ways to detect, diagnose, treat, and manage cancer; to create a center for research in cancers involving the reproductive and urinary systems.
15 Lorry I. LokeyMedia and entertainment 112.5 million   Stanford University - School of Medicine, University of Oregon University of Oregon: The bulk of the gift will go toward the Lorry I. Lokey Science Advancement and Graduate Education Initiative, which includes funds for endowed faculty support, for a quasi-endowment for additional faculty support, for endowed support for graduate students, and for a quasi-endowment for program support. Stanford University - School of Medicine: To help build a home for Stanford's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
16 Rupert H. JohnsonFinance 100.0 million   Washington and Lee University To support student scholarships and establish a lecture series on campus, a summer program in leadership for seniors at the college, and two professorships.
16 Frank Batten Sr.Communications 100.0 million   University of Virginia To establish a school of leadership and public policy.
16 Philip H. Knight, Penny KnightManufacturing 100.0 million   University of Oregon To create the Oregon Athletics Legacy Fund, which will support all athletic programs.
16 Richard S. Zeisler Investments 100.0 million   Various Art Museums A bequest of more than 110 works by 20th-century masters such as Miró, Magritte, Max Beckmann, and Francis Bacon to 16 institutions.
16 Henri Lazarof, Janice LazarofEntertainment 100.0 million   Los Angeles County Museum of Art A gift in kind of 130 works, including 20 pieces by Pablo Picasso, 21 watercolors and paintings by Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, and seven bronzes and one painting by Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti.
16 Robert Powell, Jeannette PowellReal estate 100.0 million   University of the Pacific A pledge to be paid upon death to offset tuition costs for students at the three-campus private university.
16 Peter H. Lunder, Paula Crane LunderManufacturing 100.0 million   Colby College A donation of private art collection including more than 500 paintings, sculptures, and prints by such masters as John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, and Georgia O'Keeffe, among others.
16 Thomas M. SiebelTechnology 100.0 million   University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign To support science and engineering programs.
16 Ann LurieFamily wealth 100.0 million   Children's Memorial Hospital (Chicago) To establish a new, world-class medical center devoted exclusively to the care of children.
16 Warren AlpertFinance 100.0 million   Brown University A new building to house classrooms and offices, support for biomedical research, endowed professorships and scholarships, and faculty recruitment, fulfilling pledge made by Mr. Alpert before his death.
26 Pierre Omidyar, Pam OmidyarTechnology 97.8 million   HopeLab, Humanity United, The Omidyar Network To be used for grants to various groups.
27 Edwin A.G. MantonBusiness 91.0 million   The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute A bequest of $40 million in artwork; $50 million in cash to support research and educational programs.
28 William Davidson, Karen DavidsonBusiness 75.0 million   Hadassah: Women's Zionist Organization of America To support the new inpatient tower at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel.
28 Dan L. Duncan, Jan DuncanEnergy 75.0 million   Houston Museum of Natural Science, Other groups, Texas Children's Hospital Texas Children's Hospital: To launch the world's pre-eminent collaborative institute to study and treat pediatric neurological disorders; for its capital campaign. Houston Museum of Natural Science: The museum plans to build an addition that is likely to include classrooms, exhibition galleries, a collections-storage facility, educational facilities, and a Hall of Paleontology.
28 R.C. Durr Construction 70.0 million   R.C. Durr Foundation A bequest that will be focused toward social services and education.
28 Jerry Yang, Akiko Yamazaki Technology, media 75.0 million   Stanford University To cover the costs of a new environmental studies center scheduled to be completed in December, and to help fund a 120,000-square-foot center for training doctors.
28 Harvey E. NajimBusiness 75.0 million   Harvey E. Najim Family Foundation To create a new foundation to support education, children's medical treatment, and research on diseases that affect children, and other children's causes.
33 Mart Green FamilyBusiness 70.0 million   Oral Roberts University  
34 Jane Anne Nohl Family wealth 60.0 million   University of Southern California To the Division of Hematology and the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to support research in blood disorders and recruit outstanding physician researchers.
34 Dale E. Fowler, Sarah Ann FowlerReal estate 60.0 million   Gordon College An unrestricted endowment to be paid upon their death.
34 Lee Anderson, Penny AndersonConstruction and manufacturing 60.0 million   University of St. Thomas For a new student center and improvements to athletic and recreational facilities.
37 Peter B. LewisFinance 54.5 million   American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Other groups, Princeton University  
38 Richard Lundquist, Melanie LundquistReal estate 54.0 million   Partnership for Los Angeles Schools  
39 Melvin Simon, Bren SimonReal estate 52.4 million   Riley Hospital for Children To help complete the Riley Hospital for Children Simon Family Tower.
40 H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest, Marguerite B. LenfestMedia and entertainment 52.1 million   Teach for America, Washington and Lee University, Wilson College  
41 John A. SwansonEngineering 51.3 million   University of Pittsburgh To the university's School of Engineering for the transformation of Benedum Hall, the academic home of Pitt's School of Engineering and to establish an endowed fund that will provide a dedicated revenue source to be used at the discretion of the school's dean.
42 Raymond Eckstein, Kathryn EcksteinShipping 51.0 million   Marquette University To build a new home for the law school.
43 Oprah WinfreyMedia and entertainment 50.2 million   Oprah Winfrey Foundation, Oprah's Angel Network  
44 Dennis Gillings, Joan GillingsPharmaceuticals 50.0 million   University of North Carolina For the School of Public Health.
44 Martin Silver, Constance SilverBusiness 50.0 million   New York University To support the Constance McCatherin-Silver Fellowship; to establish an endowed professorship for a junior faculty member researching poverty; and to promote other new initiatives dedicated to the study of poverty and to better allocate funding, administration, and services.
44 Paul FosterOil 50.0 million   Texas Tech University For the university's business school.
44 James T. EmersonInvestments 50.0 million   J.T.-Minnie Maude Charitable Trust To create a trust that will provide educational scholarships and charitable grants.
44 Eugene B. Adkins Family wealth 50.0 million   Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa A private collection of more than 1,000 paintings and objects.
49 Paul G. AllenTechnology 46.0 million   Allen Institute for Brain Science, Experience Music Project, Other groups, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Science Fiction Museum  
50 Joseph ZilberReal estate 45.5 million   Marquette University, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee $5 million for new law school building and $25 million for scholarships, for the proposed School of Public Health.
51 Lawrence J. EllisonTechnology 39.0 million   Ellison Medical Foundation To support research programs.
52 Lillian Garner Family wealth 38.0 million   Jewish Home and Care Center Foundation To support medical care for residents who do not have family members or money.
53 Wade F.B. ThompsonIndustry 36.0 million   Park Avenue Armory To help pay for its restoration.
54 Patrick Soon-Shiong FamilyPharmaceuticals 35.0 million   $25 million for hospital's expansion; $10 million to establish a center for transitional sciences and other development.
54 David H. MurdockBusiness 35.0 million   Duke University Medical School To fund a project that will focus on developing more comprehensive and effective approaches to attacking maladies such as cancer, diabetes, liver disease, aging and arthritis, brain disorders, and heart disease.
54 Don Logan, Sandy LoganMedia and entertainment 35.0 million   Auburn University To Auburn's College of Sciences and Mathematics to create the first endowed chair and support graduate fellowships.
54 Christopher "Kit" GoldsburyManufacturing 35.0 million   Culinary Institute of America To establish the Center for Foods of the Americas in Texas.
58 Robert W. WilsonInvestments 30.5 million   Archdiocese of New York Earmarked for scholarships to the Catholic elementary schools in Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx.
59 Michael Recanati, Ira StatfeldShipping 30.0 million   New York University Child Study Center To support clinical services, research, and educational programs about Asperger's syndrome.
59 J. Peter Ministrelli, Florine MinistrelliConstruction 30.0 million   Beaumont Hospitals To support cardiology and urology programs and research at Beaumont Hospital.
59 William R. HoughFinance 30.0 million   University of Florida - Warrington College of Business Administration Establishes an endowment to support teaching, academic programs, and enhancements in the graduate school of business.
59 Charles Duncan, Anne DuncanBusiness 30.0 million   Rice University To build an environmentally friendly residence hall.
59 Eugene Glick, Marilyn GlickReal estate 30.0 million   Indiana University To build one of the top eye research institutes in the country.
59 Irwin Jacobs, Joan JacobsTelecommunications 30.0 million   Massachusetts Institute of Technology To support graduate fellowships in the School of Engineering.
59 Sheldon G. AdelsonHotels 30.0 million   Adelson School To create the Adelson School, a private Jewish high school.
59 James S. McDonnell III FamilyAviation 30.0 million   Princeton University To establish the McDonnell Center for Systems Neuroscience.
59 Lester Smith, Sue SmithBusiness 30.0 million   Baylor College of Medicine To fund gene-based research into breast cancer.
59 Ronald TutorEngineering 30.0 million   University of Southern California For USC's new campus center.

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