A highly publicized pledge by billionaires to give away half their wealth before they die does not actually obligate them to do so. An analysis of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge, which has drawn more than 190 signatories so far, and the post-mortem transactions on behalf of 10 dead signatories shows a wide range of donations. Only two who gave more than $1 billion did so before they signed the pledge. The good PR, Giving Pledge coordinator Robert Rosen said, isn’t “looking to add any additional complexity.”
