America is home to 1,135 billionaires, whose combined wealth adds up to a staggering $5.7 trillion. Yet when it comes to philanthropy, their giving has barely made a dent—just $185 billion pledged or donated over the past decade, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of Altrata data.

A huge slice of that wealth is concentrated in the hands of just three men: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg, who together account for nearly $1 trillion. Musk, the world’s richest person, sits at around $374 billion through ventures like Tesla and SpaceX. Bezos built Amazon into a $2.39 trillion giant. Zuckerberg amassed $259 billion from the success of Facebook and Meta’s ecosystem.

But despite their outsized influence, these tech titans aren’t the biggest group among billionaires. More U.S. billionaires made fortunes in banking, finance, and real estate, with names like Warren Buffett, Abigail Johnson, and Steve Schwarzman topping the lists.

The Giving Pledge: More Talk Than Action

In 2010, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Melinda French Gates launched The Giving Pledge, asking billionaires to commit to giving away at least half their wealth in their lifetimes. So far, only nine of the 256 signers have truly delivered. In fact, since signing, the net worth of the original 57 U.S. pledgers has skyrocketed by 283% (166% adjusted for inflation).

Most pledgers have fallen far short: about a quarter have donated less than $1 million in the last 10 years. Overall, their giving adds up to just 3.25% of total billionaire wealth.

The Rise of “Stealth Giving”

Some billionaires funnel philanthropy through personal foundations. For instance, Bill Ackman has donated more than $1.3 billion via his family foundation. Bill Gates continues to direct enormous sums into the Gates Foundation, which recently reduced his net worth by $51 billion in one stroke.

Meanwhile, MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, stands out as one of the most generous billionaires alive. Through her Yield Giving foundation, she has already given away $19.25 billion to 2,450 nonprofits—often anonymously, with no strings attached. Experts suggest her trust-based approach could inspire a new wave of direct philanthropy among the ultra-rich.

Billionaire Wealth vs. Social Impact

With AI and new tech potentially creating the world’s first trillionaires, the wealth gap is poised to widen further. Whether America’s billionaires rise to the occasion with meaningful philanthropy—or continue to quietly accumulate fortunes—will shape the nation’s social fabric in the decades ahead.

For now, one thing is clear: the giving is nowhere near keeping up with the getting.