(Newswire.net — June 17, 2020) — The Covid-19 epidemic has affected nearly the whole world, some of the wealthiest people on the earth have come in hand to assist during this outbreak by offering a portion of their wealth. They include; sportsmen, CEO, and tech tycoons. This virus has infected over 1.5 million people globally with over 90,000 deaths linked to it.
How these donations are being put to use
These donations have been used in various ways i.e. acquiring face masks for health workers, providing food to the less privileged, and in the funding of research programs that have been set aside to come up with vaccines and a cure for the virus. These donations have enabled the continuity of essential work in the provision of assistance to the communities such as to the old-aged, densely populated with no food.
Some of the world’s richest and their contributions
Below is a list of some of these people who have gone out of their way in helping the less fortunate:
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Jack Ma
He is China’s richest man and the president of Alibaba, a Chinese tech company. He shipped close to two million face masks and Covid-19 testing kits to various parts of the United States. The initial batch left for the US on March 12th. He has also provided medical kits to many nations in Africa and Europe.
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Jack Dorsey
He owns Twitter and Square. He donated $1 billion from his shares to help fight Covid-19 which amounts to a third of his total wealth. He further pledged to oversee the health, food, and necessary income of less-privileged girls once the epidemic is over.
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Oprah Winfrey
The famous TV star pledged $10 million to Covid-19 relief organizations during the beginning of April. Out of this donation, $1 million would go to a similar project by popular chef Jose who also has a fund that has helped feed thousands of Americans.
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Bill Gates
He is the co-founder of Microsoft and together with his spouse, he pledged to donate $100 million through their organization which has been known for catering for the public health needs over a long time. Half of this pledge is solely set to aid in coming up with vaccines. The organization further added its donation to $305 million.
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Giorgio Armani
His group was among the first to stand up against the virus. The 85-year-old fashion designer pledged $1.44 million to help in fighting the virus. The pledge will be shared by two hospitals in Italy and two research institutes. He has helped in the production of medical overalls through his fashion group.
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Donald Trump
In early March, he declared Covid-19 a national disaster. He took a pay cut that amounts to $100,000 that helps the relief agencies. He came up with a revival council that included some of the richest men in the country that aims at providing funds that will help combat the virus.
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Mark Zuckerberg
Zuckerberg together with his spouse Dr. Priscilla made an initial $60 million pledge for the relief agencies and an additional $25 million pledge through their fund, Chan Zuckerberg organization that will assist Gates in searching for treatment. He further promised to donate masks to health workers
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Ambani Mukesh
His giant oil industry donated $66 million to a relief fund that was set up by the PM of India. This pledge was in addition to the foundation’s initial plan of erecting a medical center in Mumbai that can host 100 people. He has made sure that there is a daily production of over 150,000 masks, together with providing the needy in the city with free meals.
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Steve Ballmer
He has donated more than $25 million through his foundation. A portion of this contribution will ensure that the organizations based in the community that have vulnerable members are handed instant operating grants.
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Lionel Messi
He is among the greatest players to grace the sport of football. He has donated $1 million that will help in tackling the virus. The pledges have been shared among two medical facilities, one in Spain and the other in his native country, Argentina.
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George Soros
His organization has pledged $130 million that will help tackle the pandemic. The pledge has been set aside to provide basic needs to the needy people and those who have low means of income. His son also promised to donate $95 million to a relief organization that will go to ensure that non-profit loans are given to nonprofits.
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Cristiano Ronaldo
He is among the best-paid athletes around the universe. He donated $1 million to aid in curbing this pandemic. These funds were shared between two medical facilities both located in his country, Portugal.
Conclusion
These are just some of the few billionaires who have stretched their hands during this ongoing hard time. The donations will go in hand in making sure such an epidemic does not happen again as the medical conditions and facilities will be of the best quality. Suppose it strikes again.