Rich List 2017
Our 16th annual Giving List
reveals record donations, but
not all philanthropists are
happy with the publicity
that accompanies their
generosity. Clare Grant
and David Paul report
G
iving is admirable, everyone agrees
on that. Some philanthropists
consciously choose a public profi le,
others have pragmatic reasons for
keeping their charitable work
quiet. So how best to give?
This question was highlighted
by the death of George Michael on
Christmas Day last year. He was no stranger
to headline-grabbing behaviour, but
posthumous tributes to the star revealed an
unexpectedly private side to his charity.
Michael, who wrote the hits Faith and
Careless Whisper , was already known for
public good causes such as his hilarious
appearance in James Cord en ’s fi rst Carpool
Karaoke , recorded for Comic Relief in 2011.
It was only after his premature death, aged
53 , that the fi rst stories emerged of Michael’s
secret philanthropy. We now know he had
worked incognito at a homeless shelter , that
he had anonymously given a woman £15,000
for IVF treatment, and handed a student
nurse £5,000 because she was in debt.
Benefi ciaries came forward to reveal
how Michael had quietly donated millions
to charities such as Childline and the
Terrence Higgins Trust. He had never
appeared in the Giving List.
Our 16th survey of Rich List
philanthropists also shows how people
give in diff erent ways. Private or public —
and some philanthropists combine both
— charity has a breadth of agendas, with
a common core of incredible generosity.
Michael’s sometime on-stage
collaborator, Sir Elton John , for example,SHOW
AND
TELL
148 • thesundaytimes.co.uk/richlistHE’S YOUR MAN
George Michael was on
song with James Corden
for Comic Relief in 2011,
but usually kept his
philanthropy private.
Below: Elton John takes
a more high-profi le
approach to giving