Forbes: Hansjörg Wyss is One of America’s Top 10 Givers of 2015

Forbes Recognizes Hansjörg Wyss as One of America’s Top 10 Givers for Second Year in a Row

Today, Forbes Magazine released its annual list of and ranked Hansjörg Wyss at #9 for individuals who gave the most to charity in 2015. To compile its ranking, Forbes looked at the amount of charitable funds that make it to recipients through both individual’s foundations and personal giving. Forbes notes that last Wyss gave $330 million in charitable causes last year and that Wyss has given $1.12 billion to charity over his lifetime, or 18% of his current net worth.

In 2015, the Wyss Foundation funded a variety of land conservation, anti-poaching efforts along with projects to help promote social justice and economy opportunity. Among these grants include $4 million to the Andes Amazon Fund as part of a multi-year, multi-million dollar commitment and a $3 million contribution to the Wilderness Land Trust to purchase Rimrock Rose. The Wyss Foundation also supported health care for vulnerable patients through a $2 million grant to Health Leads to help institutions improve quality of care.

In addition to the Wyss Foundation, Wyss funds the Wyss Institute at Harvard, which Forbes notes that he gave $25 million to in 2015 for medical and technology research, part of his larger $250 million pledge to the Institute. Wyss also committed $120 million to the Wyss Translational Center at the University of Zurich for regenerative medicine and robotics research.

Warren Buffet topped the Forbes’ list of “America’s Top 50 Givers” with $2.84 billion in charitable contributions in 2015, followed by Bill and Melinda Gates with $1.4 billion in giving. Wyss joined Buffet and Gates in signing “The Giving Pledge” in 2013, by which he committed to giving away at least half of his wealth to charitable causes.

Hansjörg Wyss founded the Wyss Foundation in 1998 to preserve the iconic natural landscapes that inspire him and protect them for future generations. Since its founding, the Wyss Foundation’s philanthropy has expanded to support education, economic opportunity, and social justice. Investments are intended to encourage new ideas and new solutions that expand the reach of human possibility and compassion.