Eight Pledge Letters That Deserve to be Remembered

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan made headlines this fall when they pledged to donate 99% of their monetary wealth to charity throughout their lifetimes. The couple joins a myriad of other billionaires who have made public pledges through Bill Gates’ and Warren Buffett’s “The Giving Pledge.” While the site explains there are no legal commitments inherent in these pledges, each donor(s) wrote a pledge letter that is attached to their profile on the website.

We read through all of the letters and picked out a few that definitely deserve to be remembered, thanks to their individuality and the sentiments and stories shared. Here are our eight favorite pledge letters, in no particular order:

1. Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan

“We’ll make long term bets that others won’t make and…[w]e’ll learn from each project and apply those lessons to future work. That’s why we’re starting and making this commitment now while we’re still early in our careers — so we can gain experience early”.

2. Bill & Karen Ackman

“I don’t think being charitable is innate. In my experience, it is learned from the examples of others.”

3. Sara Blakely

“I have so much gratitude for being a woman in America. I never lose sight that I was born in the right country, at the right time.”

4. Michael Bloomberg

“Making a difference in people’s lives—and seeing it with your own eyes—is perhaps the most satisfying thing you’ll ever do. If you want to fully enjoy life—give.”

5. Sue Ann Arnall

“At an early age, my daughter, Jane, encouraged me to devote all of my resources to philanthropy and my dream of helping others. She assured me that my love and happiness were far more important to her than any inheritance she might receive.”

6. George Lucas & Mellody Hobson

“I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education. It is the key to the survival of the human race.”

7. Hansjörg Wyss

“President Thomas Jefferson reminds us: ‘There is a debt of service due from every man to his country proportioned to the bounties which nature and fortune have measured to him.'”

8. Richard and Joan Branson

“‘Stuff’ really is not what brings happiness. Family, friends, good health and the satisfaction that comes from making a positive difference are what really matters.”

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Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey general Inspirational international Legacy Make a Mark WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

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