In 2006, he auctioned his 2001 Lincoln Town Car[81] on eBay to raise money for Girls, Inc.[82]
In 2007, he auctioned a luncheon with himself that raised a final bid of $650,100 for a charity.[83]
In 2006, he announced a plan to give away his fortune to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[84] In June 2006, Buffett gave approximately 10 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (worth approximately US$30.7 billion as of 23 June 2006)[85] making it the largest charitable donation in history and Buffett one of the leaders in the philanthrocapitalism revolution.[86] The foundation will receive 5% of the total donation on an annualised basis each July, beginning in 2006. Buffett also will join the board of directors of the Gates Foundation, although he does not plan to be actively involved in the foundation's investments.[87][88][citation needed]
This is a significant shift from previous statements Buffett has made, having stated that most of his fortune would pass to his Buffett Foundation.[89] The bulk of the estate of his wife, valued at $2.6 billion, went to that foundation when she died in 2004.[90]
He also pledged $50-million to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, in Washington, where he has served as an adviser since 2002.[91]
On 27 June 2008, Zhao Danyang, a general manager at Pure Heart China Growth Investment Fund, won the 2008 5-day online "Power Lunch with Warren Buffett" charity auction with a bid of $2,110,100. Auction proceeds benefit the San Francisco Glide Foundation.[92][93]
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