Gordon Moore
Cause: Conservation. Moore and his wife Betty distributed more than $50 million last year for conservation projects, drawing on the more than $5 billion they set aside in 2001 for their environmentally focused foundation. Sample gift: $23 million for Conservation International's Center for Applied Biodiversity Science.
Impact: Studies funded by the Moore Foundation have validated new approaches to conservation, including a "catch sharing" technique for restoring endangered fish populations.