Mark Zuckerberg and wife Priscilla Chan announced Tuesday that they plan to donate $45 billion, or 99 percent of their Facebook stock, during their lifetimes.
The couple shared the philanthropic news in a public Facebook post that included a 2,200-word letter written to their one-week-old daughter, Maxima. The parents said the birth of their first child, after three miscarriages, has given them a reason to reflect on the world they hope she grows up in.
“Like all parents, we want you to grow up in a world better than ours today,” wrote Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, and Chan, a pediatrician and CEO of the Primary School.
The duo will support organizations that advance human potential and promote equality, as well as through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which will focus on personalized learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities.
Zuckerberg and Chan are on paternity and maternity leave, respectively, as they adjust. They signed off with a promise to share more information about their specific plans in the coming months.
