Featured

Who ‘Gives’ the Most? Philanthropy Has Several Forms!

Published

5 months ago

November 20, 2023

Daniel Wanburg

Charity or philanthropy usually brings images of financial donations, to a greater (the Bill Gates of the world) or lesser (you and me) degree, each according to her or his means. The majority of celebrities you will read about on this site have their philanthropic activities identified – quite deliberately, as it gives a more complete picture of the individual – usually in terms of finance, and sometimes specific to certain institutions or organisations. Supposing that you don’t have any spare cash, though – what can you still do to assist those who are in much more dire need of support than yourself? You have already started thinking, haven’t you!? So then, who do you think gives the most, identified by country?

‘Charity begins at home’ is an old adage – apparently from the 17th century King James bible – that you could do well to start out with, and which could also well be the motto of the Charities Aid Foundation(CAF). The Foundation is a charity in itself, but also far more than that. It is based in London, and under the patronage of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh endeavours to encourage philanthropy in its various forms, and the work of charitable organisations themselves.

CAF concentrates on three arms of philanthropy – donating money, helping someone you didn’t know who needed help, and volunteering time to a charitable organization.

It does this by:
a. endeavouring to ensure charitable (not-for-profit) organisations are consistently, transparently regulated legally; ie they do what they are designed to do.
b. encouraging people to donate in some way, also offering incentives to do so, eg tax deductability.
c. helping charities to campaign independently.
d. persuading developing economies to adopt philanthropy as part of their culture, society, especially in the middle classes.

So just how successful is the CAF, and more particularly in which areas of the world? CAF does not claim to be directly responsible for the level of philanthropy in any country, but its policies listed above are presented widely to appropriate authorities.

Each year since 2010, the CAF has conducted research into the level of philanthropy in over 140 countries, asking the questions – ‘during the previous month (NOTE!) have you donated money to a good cause, helped a stranger, and/or volunteered your time. “The ‘World Giving Index” averages the responses from these questions, counts the percentages, and hence arrives at the overall score and ranking.

Timing of research can be crucial, for example in Muslim countries around the time of Ramadan the efforts may be more positive. However, for the third successive year, and despite negative publicity regarding treatment of the Rohingya people, Myanmar tops the list, averaging 70% and way ahead of the USA in second place on 61% and Australia on 60%. That over 80% of Myanmar’s population are Theravada Buddhists is believed to be significant, as they traditionally donate regularly to monastic institutions, but topping the giving of money list too. The top five is completed by New Zealand and Sri Lanka, with Iraq tops for helping strangers (81%) and Turkmenistan for volunteering time (60%). CAF remarks that generosity increases in times of adversity, and that for the first time over 50% of all those surveyed worldwide helped a stranger.

Conversely, and disappointingly perhaps, only the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Indonesia of the Group of Twenty (G20), representing 85% of Gross World Product (GWP), are listed in the top 20 on a five-year average, little changed from previous years.
There are possibly some surprises in the following lists.

Following is a list of the top 20 ranked countries in 2016, courtesy of the CAF.

Rank	Country	Overall Index %	Helping a Stranger %	Donating Money %	Volunteering Time %
1	Myanmar	70	63	91	55
2	USA	61	73	63	46
3	Australia	60	68	73	40
4	New Zealand	59	61	71	44
5	Sri Lanka	57	61	61	49
6	Canada	56	65	65	38
7	Indonesia	56	43	75	50
8	UK	54	61	69	33
9	Ireland	54	56	66	40
10	UAE	53	75	63	21
11	Uzbekistan	52	67	62	27
12	Kenya	52	70	44	42
13	Netherlands	52	55	66	33
14	Norway	50	52	67	31
15	Turkmenistan	50	49	40	60
16	Malta	49	47	73	28
17	Iceland	49	52	70	26
18	Bhutan	49	52	56	39
19	Kuwait	48	78	48	17
20	Denmark	47	54	62	23

Table of Contents

Top 10 Countries by Participation in Helping a Stranger

Rank	Country	People (%)
1	Iraq	81
2	State of Libya	79
3	Kuwait	78
4	Somalia	77
5	UAE	75
6	Malawi	74
7	Botswana	73
8	Sierra Leone	73
9	USA	73
10	Saudi Arabia	73

Top 10 Countries by Participation in Donating Money

Rank	Country	People (%)
1	Myanmar	91
2	Indonesia	75
3	Australia	73
4	Malta	73
5	New Zealand	71
6	Iceland	70
7	UK	69
8	Norway	67
9	Netherlands	66
10	Ireland	66

Top 10 Countries by Participation in Volunteering Time

Rank	Country	People (%)
1	Turkmenistan	60
2	Myanmar	55
3	Indonesia	50
4	Sri Lanka	49
5	USA	46
6	New Zealand	44
7	Philippines	42
8	Kenya	42
9	Honduras	41
10	Ireland	40

Daniel Wanburg

As the Managing Editor at Net Worth Post, I lead a talented team in delivering compelling content on the lives and achievements of influential figures. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, I oversee the production of insightful biographies that resonate with our audience. My role involves not only managing the editorial process but also conducting research, crafting engaging narratives, and ensuring the accuracy and quality of our publications. At NetWorthPost, we strive to provide our readers with in-depth profiles that offer valuable insights into the worlds of business, entertainment, and beyond. Through meticulous research and captivating storytelling, we bring to light the remarkable journeys and successes of individuals who inspire and captivate us.

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Featured

Stars And Their (Surprising) Cars – Net Worth To Be Spent on…What?

Published

1 month ago

March 8, 2024

Daniel Wanburg

You will have seen star actors stepping out of their chosen luxurious limousines when arriving at the Oscars ceremony, or premiere of their latest big budget film; other celebrities too, showing off their latest automobile acquisition – seemingly the more expensive and/or rarer the better – an on-going parade of how to spend your (sometimes not so) hard-earned net worth.

While many celebrities clearly enjoy the ostentatiousness of these show-off opportunities, others have far simpler tastes, often indulging in much simpler, cheaper and more fun-loving machines, so to speak, as opposed to those which you may well hesitate to take out onto public roads, or those which you can only get the best out of on a closed track – unless you want to risk the wrath of the law!

Following is a selection of celebrities who prefer to have at least one far more modest vehicle in their garage – admittedly some alongside a luxury model or two – but just maybe a case of transport for all occasions? See what you think…

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Steve Ballmer – Ford Fusion Hybrid – $35,000

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By far and away the richest single person on this list with more than $20 billion in the bank, what sort of vehicle(s) would you expect to see this person driving? Well, perhaps Steve is ahead of the field, as befits the ex-CEO of Microsoft (and owner of the LA Clippers of the NBA). The Hybrid is possibly associated more with town driving for the moment, but living close to Seattle, Steve probably has the best of both worlds, with the Rockies not too far out of town, and he is certainly still at the forefront of technology, and care for the environment.

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Leonardo DiCaprio – Toyota Prius – $20,000

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Despite the fact that his net worth is now close to $300 million, latest Oscar winner Leonardo is apparently another environmentalist, also prefering the quiet option of a hybrid car when moving around southern California, perhaps unsurprising after the lengthy, hectic, noisy schedule involved with his latest (Oscar-winning) film hit “The Revenant”. As with other celebrities, he may well prefer the relative anonymity of the car too – a little privacy is surely allowed, given that such stars are often thought of as public property.

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Justin Timberlake – Volkswagen Jetta – $16,000

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Another acting and singing star who seemingly prefers to go unnoticed when not on stage or screen, Justin could also afford something rather more ostentatious as his means of transport, as he has now racked-up a net worth of close to $200 million. However, this modest vehicle apparently gives him some relief from both paparazzi and adoring fans when not engaged on ‘official’ business, around his home town of Memphis or southern California where he now resides.

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Britney Spears – Mini-Cooper convertible – $25,000

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Actually, this relatively petite car somehow suits its relatively petite owner, far more so than those gross Mercedes G55 and Maserati Gran Tourismo vehicles she also owns. (Jealous? Nah!) Well, with a fortune approaching $200 million, the singing superstar can do pretty much as she pleases when selecting which car to drive today, but not forgetting her consistent philanthropic endeavours stretching back over more than 15 years. Maybe she deserves a luxury or two, doesn’t she?

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Conan O’Brien – Ford Taurus SHO – $24,000

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This host of comedy talk shows still drives the love of his life – well, one of them anyway. Really, this is a special model, sporting a Yamaha 3-litre V6 turbocharged engine producing over 220bhp, which Conan has reputedly owned for more than 20 years, long before his face became well known on evening TV around the US, and now around the world. Well, he does have a rather warped sense of humour, but he can afford to smile with a net worth of over $75 million.

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Clint Eastwood – GMC Typhoon – $30,000

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Another wolf-in-sheeps-clothing is driven by ‘Dirty” Harry Callaghan, AKA Clint Eastwood, one of the most recognisable stars of TV and the big screen with a career spanning six decades, which has brought him a deserved fortune of close to $400 million. Yes, this beast of the road also hides a 4.3-litre V6 turbocharged 280bhp under the hood – ready for the chase, or a getaway?

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LeBron James – Jeep Wrangler Unlimited – $26,000

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Another very well-paid, rich star with a stable of cars at home, LeBron can certainly afford whatever he wants, and has – Ferrari, Maybach, Hummer, Bentley, Mercedes, Porsche, Rolls-Royce – yet here he is, in a rather run-of-the-mill Wrangler. Seems that he doesn’t just have fun on the basketball court – if ‘fun’ is the right word for an athlete who needs to live up to his reputation of being one of THE highest paid in sport, including from endorsements. How much? A cool $42 million for seasons 2014-16 alone – enough for another Jeep, maybe?

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Daniel Radcliffe – Fiat Punto – $18,000

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AKA Harry Potter, this is allegedly the first car the British star purchased, a big difference to that which most young drivers aspire to when they finally get their licence. Well, he has only just made his first $100 million, so there’s still plenty of time, and many options to chose from. Maybe one of those ‘driverless’ cars? Now, what would Harry Potter drive in the real world…?

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Colin Farrell – Ford Bronco – $40,000

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Despite driving a myriad of vehicles during his film roles, Colin apparently isn’t too particular about what he drives privately, although he could certainly afford something a little more up-market if he chose, with a net worth of $30 million. Still, the award-winning Irishman is perhaps true to his roots, going for practicality over looks, but with a strong and reliable V8 on board.

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Mel Gibson – Toyota Cressida – $10,000

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Maybe this popular star of the “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon” series of films among many others is really trying to get around incognito? This vehicle in fact looks like a left-over refugee from one of those franchises, but perhaps it’s all he could afford after that messy expensive divorce settlement? Actually, this model sports a 200hp 3-litre V6 as its power pack, so maybe just enough to keep out of trouble? (PS – his net worth is still north of $400 million!)

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Tom Hanks – Scion Xb – $55,000

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The super- much-respected movie star seems to have been around forever, but has yet to reach 60. However, having amassed net worth approaching $400 million, he too could indulge in a Ferrari or… or… However, he prefers this modified, electric-engined model to get around Los Angeles anyway. Come to think of it, it doesn’t look much smaller than a Hummer… beware, traffic!

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Jennifer Lawrence – Volkswagen Eos – $35,000

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From starring in “Winter’s Bone” to “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and several other films drawing considerable praise, this rising actress with a net worth estimated at over $60 million could afford … well, whatever she wants, and she has, albeit a rather more modest means of transportation than many of her genre. Still, this 2-litre turbo-charged machine obviously provides adequate fun for this young lady.

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Jay Leno – GMC Syclone – $26,000

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Alright, so what if he is reputed to own a collection of more than 250 cars, this one is a little more modest, isn’t it? Well, looks can deceive, because actually less than 3,000 of this ‘special’ were produced, meaning that with a 4.3 litre V6 turbo-charged motor under the hood, Jay can get to wherever he’s going almost as quickly as he could driving his McLaren MP4-12, and with less attention, certainly on the open road. Now, which one will I buy… I mean drive today…? Now folks, I have to spend my $350 million net worth somehow!

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Pope Francis – Renault 4 – donated

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Yes, really! His Eminence is supposed to use what has come to be called ‘The Popemobile’, certainly on formal, crowded – one could say potentially dangerous – occasions, but then, without those flowing white robes and other regalia, who could possibly think that the person driving this modest car is actually the head of the Catholic church? Come to think of it, this is much more his style, confirming his persona of casual friendliness and humility, and allowing him to mix freely with his flock! As at least nominal controller of probably the richest entity in the world, the Pope could reasonably afford something a little more luxurious, but somehow this fits him well enough – after all, he is a parish priest, although his official title is Bishop of Rome.

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Featured

Richest Women in the World – Net Worth

Published

1 month ago

March 5, 2024

Daniel Wanburg

Ladies, rejoice! Well, take heart anyway. Most of you (and most men as well) are unlikely to ever reach the giddy heights of financial independence associated with becoming a billionaire, but the percentage of women reaching that target measured against men is increasing annually, and they are spread around the world, not only in the largest economies of the USA and China (yes, several ladies, independent too, are located in China.)

Sadly (perhaps!?) none of the richest 20 women are actually self-made: they have inherited at least a large part of their wealth, which is not to say that they haven’t built on it. Of course, women live on average 5% longer lives than men world-wide, so it’s not surprising that male partners leave a large part of their wealth to their female partner, and of course in many cases to female offspring. Regardless, the number of self-made female billionaires* is also on the rise, although currently to a much lesser extent than women with largely inherited wealth, which is also probably unsurprising given that until the current generation, the attitude in most, including western cultures was that ‘the woman’s place is in the home’. The richest self-made woman in the world ranks 22nd.

Latest figures published by authoritative sources in late 2015 show a more than 15% percent rise in women billionaires in a year, now at 197 up from 172 in 2014, of 1826 and of 1748 total billionaires respectively, so currently 11% of the total number, up over 1% in a year. These numbers and percentages regarding women seem sure to rise, as more women, and therefore their ideas about many aspects of so many varying businesses attract a growing number of female clients – not forgetting that women have a greater say now within the household, and women themselves have far more disposable income now than, say, 30 years ago.

The following list is of the richest 20 women in the world, including nationality, source of wealth and marital status which sadly often reflects family losses. Total wealth can vary considerably from day-to-day given the volatility of share markets around the world, in which a great deal of wealth is literally invested or company values estimated, so do not be surprised if the net worth of some individuals is different when you read the article from when it was compiled in early 2016.

#	Personality	Age	Net Worth	Source of wealth	Nationality	Marital status
20	Milane Frantz	45	$6 billion	Enterprise Products – from father Dan L. Duncand d. 2010	American	Married
19	Randa Duncan Williams	53	$6 billion	Enterprise Products – from father Dan L. Duncand d. 2010	American	Married
18	Dannine Avara	41	$6 billion	Enterprise Products – from father Dan L. Duncand d. 2010	American	Married
17	Pansy Ho	53	$6.5 billion	Shun Tak Holdings – from father Stanley Ho in 2015	Hong Kong Chinese	Divorced
16	Huiyan Yang	34	$7 billion	Country Garden Holding RE – transferred from father Yeung Kwok Keung in 2007	Chinese	Married
15	Margarita Louis-Dreyfus	53	$8 billion	Louis Dreyfus – from husband Robert Louis-Dreyfus d. 2009	Russian-Swiss	Widowed
14	Antonia Johnson	72	$8 billion	Johnson Group – from father Axel Johnson d. 1988	Swedish-American	Single
13	Elaine Marshall	70	$9 billion	Koch Industries – from husband E. Pierce Marshall d. 2006	American	Divorced
12	Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken	61	$11 billion	Heineken – from father Freddy Heineken d. 2002	Italian	Married
11	Miuccia Prada	66	$11 billion	Prada – from grandfather Mario Prada in 1978	Italian	Married
10	Gina Rinehart	62	$12 billion	Resource shares – from father Lang Hancock d. 1992	Australian	Divorced
9	Johanna Quandt	89	$13 billion	BMW shares – from husband Herbert Quandt d. 1982	German	Widowed
8	Laurene Powell Jobs	52	$14 billion	Largest Apple shareholder – from husband Steve Jobs d. 2011	American	Widowed
7	Ann Cox Chambers	96	$15 billion	Owner Cox Enterprises – from father James M. Cox d. 1957	American	Married
6	Abigail Johnson	54	$17 billion	Fidelity: replaced father (owner) as CEO in 2014	American	Married
5	Susanne Klatten	53	$18 billion	BMW, Altana shares – from father Herbert Quandt d. 1982	German	Married
4	Jacqueline Mars	76	$20 billion	Mars shares – from father Forest Mars Sr. d. 1999	American	Divorced
3	Alice Walton	66	$36 billion	Wal Mart shares – from father Sam Walton d. 1992	American	Divorced
2	Liliane Bettencourt	93	$37 billion	L’Oreal shares – from husband Andre Bettencourt d. 2007	French	Widowed
1	Christy Walton	60	$39 billion	Wal Mart and First Solar shares – from husband John Walton killed 2005	American	Widowed