Forbes Unveils 'True Net Worth' to Track Billionaire Giving
Forbes just launched a groundbreaking ranking that measures billionaires not just by wealth, but by how much they give away. The new "True Net Worth" system reveals surprising heroes like MacKenzie Scott, who's donated over $26 billion since 2019.
Forbes is flipping the script on how we measure wealth, and the results might surprise you.
At this year's TED conference, Forbes editor Randall Lane announced "True Net Worth," a new ranking system that tracks billionaire wealth alongside their charitable giving. The move comes as billionaire favorability sits at just 31%, tied with Congress for public approval.
The numbers tell a stark story. The five richest people in the world have donated less than 1% of their net worth to charity. Meanwhile, the average American teacher or firefighter gives away 2% of their income each year.
Lane believes this gap fuels public resentment. "People resent billionaires when they forget that the purpose of business is to create happiness, not who dies with the most toys," he explained during his talk.
The new True Net Worth calculation combines regular net worth with donated money, appreciating those gifts as if the giver still owned them. When Forbes ran the numbers, the rankings shifted dramatically.
Warren Buffett emerged as a standout. He's already given away more in today's dollars than he currently has, pledged 99% of what remains to charity, and required all funds be spent within ten years of his death rather than sitting in a foundation indefinitely.
The Ripple Effect
The real revelation came in Forbes' new "Biggest Movers" list, ranked by appreciated giving. MacKenzie Scott topped the chart, having donated over $26 billion since her 2019 divorce from Jeff Bezos. In 2025 alone, she gave $7.17 billion to roughly 225 organizations with no strings attached.
Scott ranks 84th by traditional net worth but jumps to 26th by True Net Worth. Other top givers include Dustin Moskovitz, Reed Hastings, Lynn Schusterman, and John Arnold, all of whom might have been invisible under the old system.
Lane hopes the rankings create new role models not just for billionaires, but for everyone. The message is simple: give while you live, and support the system that makes prosperity possible for all.
The True Net Worth rankings and Lane's full TED Talk will be released publicly soon, offering a fresh lens on who's truly making a difference.
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Based on reporting by Good Good Good
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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