Ben Delo, billionaire co-founder of crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX, has pledged to donate the majority of his wealth to global challenges.
As the vehicle for his philanthropy, Delo, who is just 35, has joined “The Giving Pledge,” a charitable initiative for the super-rich founded by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet.
The focus of Delo’s pledge is to fund projects targeting catastrophic threats such as nuclear war and extreme climate change, as well as potential risks from emerging technologies such as engineered pandemics and advanced AI, BitMEX announced Tuesday.
“Nuclear security cannot be taken for granted. The prospect of extreme climate change is real. Looking forward, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and synthetic biology will pose new and complex challenges,” Delo said in a separate note on The Giving Pledge website.
He explained:
“I’ve chosen this focus for several reasons. In short, I believe that all lives are valuable, including those of future generations. I expect that a vast and extraordinary future lies ahead if we can navigate the challenges and opportunities posed by new technologies in the upcoming century.”
Delo joins Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong in pledging to donate via The Giving Pledge. Armstrong joined the initiative last December to fund education and other causes.
The Giving Pledge describes itself as “an effort to help address society’s most pressing problems by inviting the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to commit more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or in their will.”
So far the list has 204 members from 23 countries, ranging from Elon Musk to Richard Branson, and Michael Bloomberg to David Rockefeller.
Ben Delo image via The Giving Pledge