More US billionaires pledge to give away part of wealth

Seventeen U.S. billionaires, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, have joined other wealthy American in pledging to give away at least half their fortunes as part of a philanthropic campaign by two of the world’s richest men — Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.

A total of 57 billionaires now have joined The Giving Pledge, which was launched by Microsoft founder Gates and investor Buffett in June. The campaign announced the new pledges in a statement late on Wednesday.

The campaign asks U.S. billionaires to give away at least half their wealth during their lifetime or after their death, and to publicly state their intention with a letter explaining their decision.

In addition to Zuckerberg, the new group of billionaires taking the pledge includes AOL co-founder Steve Case, financier Carl Icahn and Michael Milken, the former Wall Street executive who went to prison for securities violations.

The entire list can be seen at www.givingpledge.org.

Source: Reuters