At a time when economic inequality continues to grow, there are gestures that are surprising in their size and generosity. An American couple decided to transform almost their entire fortune into opportunities for others, channeling 9 billion euros into education, health and environmental sustainability projects, with the ambition of leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.
Rich Kinder, 81, and Nancy Kinder, 72, announced that they will donate 95% of their assets, valued at around 9 billion euros, to the Kinder Foundation, a philanthropic entity created by the couple and based in Houston, Texas. According to the Spanish digital newspaper Noticias Trabajo, the objective is to support projects in the areas of education, health and environment, especially in the community where they lived and built their wealth.
An unprecedented donation
The decision became public after the presentation of a 16 million euro investment plan in Emancipation Park, the city’s oldest park.
Part of these 9,000 million euros is also intended for the creation of the Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, a hospital specializing in the treatment of childhood cancer, developed in partnership with the Texas Children’s Hospital and the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The Kinder Foundation, active since 1997, has supported several urban redevelopment projects and iconic green spaces in Houston, such as Memorial Park and Discovery Green. The couple explains that this donation arises from the desire to “give back to the community everything it gave them”, focusing their philanthropy on the state where they prospered.
“We want to set an example for our grandchildren”
According to the same source, Nancy Kinder stated that the gesture was born from the desire to inspire younger generations. “We want our grandchildren to understand that they have a responsibility to contribute to improving society,” he said. Her husband added that his purpose is “to leave a better world than the one we found”.
Rich Kinder is co-founder of the energy company Kinder Morgan, one of the largest in the United States. His wife, Nancy, leads the foundation and directly coordinates social and environmental support programs.
Example for American millionaires
The couple is part of The Giving Pledge movement, created by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in 2010, which encourages millionaires to donate a large part of their fortunes to social causes. With the donation of 9,000 million euros, Rich and Nancy Kinder now rank among the greatest benefactors in the recent history of the United States.
According to data released by the foundation itself, shown by , by the end of last year, more than 620 million dollars in donations had already been awarded.
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