A charity founder has become the first British person to give away more than £1bn in a year, while donations by the UK’s 100 wealthiest have risen to nearly £5bn.
Chris Hohn, founder of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), reclaimed first place on the Sunday Times Giving List 2026, published today.
He donated around 16.8% (£1.44bn) of his estimated wealth in 2024, and in doing so, became the first British billionaire to give away more than a billion in a year.
The UK’s top 100 richest people collectively gave £4.98bn to charity, either personally or through their charitable foundations or businesses, according to the list.
This is £1.25bn up on last year’s total giving, according to the figures which track the philanthropic activity of 100 people who appear in the Sunday Times Rich List.
The list is based on accounts lodged with the Charity Commission, Scottish regulator OSCR or private questionnaires received by 1 May this year.
Praise for Hohn’s donations
Hedge fund manager Hohn is the founder of TCI Fund Management and is worth an estimated £8.56bn.
His charity CIFF works with global partners, including governments, NGOs and the private sector, to support children across Africa, east and southeast Asia, and Europe.
According to CIFF’s financial information filed with the commission for 2024, it had an annual income of £237m and expenditure of £508m and held £4.91m in long-term assets at the end of the year.
It spent its money on climate-related causes; sexual and reproductive health and health and nutrition-related causes.
Praising Hohn’s donations, Mark Greer, managing director at Charities Aid Foundation, said: “Our research shows that high net worth donors can be inspired by someone else's story.
“However, we don't tend to talk about charitable giving in the UK, even amongst the ultra-wealthy.
“We hope Sir Chris Hohn's generosity and openness inspires others to give and helps create a wider culture of giving to support hardworking charities that are crucial to UK society.”
10 people gave more than £100m
Overall, 10 entrants on the list donated more than £100m each.
Welsh venture capitalist and philanthropist Michael Moritz and his wife Harriet Heyman placed joint number two on the Giving List, donating 11.4% (£627m) of their wealth to causes across democracy, community and education.
Moritz and Heyman were followed by Alan Parker, who donated 8.6% (£283m) of his wealth to causes relating to the environment and child safeguarding.
Meanwhile, celebrities on the list included Elton John, J.K. Rowling, Ed Sheeran and Lewis Hamilton.
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