(Our Bureau, June 24) Late Indian industrialist Jamsetji Tata (1839-1904) was the world’s top philanthropist in the last century, found a study by Hurun Report and EdelGive Foundation. The founder of Tata Group is the only Indian in the list’s top 10 with his donations of $102 billion. Setting aside two-thirds of ownership to trusts engaged in social work in various areas helped the Tatas achieve the top spot in giving; Jamshetji had started giving in 1892 itself.
“Whilst American and European philanthropists may have dominated the thinking of philanthropy over the last century, Jamsetji Tata, founder of India’s Tata Group, is the world’s biggest philanthropist,” Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher at Hurun, said.
Jamsetji ranks ahead of the likes of Bill Gates and his former wife Melinda who have donated $74.6 billion and Warren Buffet who donated $37.4 billion. The only other Indian on the list of 50 global philanthropists, Azim Premji ranks at number 12; he has virtually given his entire fortune of $22 billion for philanthropic work.
The ranking is based on Total Philanthropic Value that is calculated as the value of the assets adjusted for inflation, together with the sum of gifts or distributions to date, reported Business Standard. The total donations by the 50 givers on the list is valuated at $832 billion over the last century.