Top philanthropists donate $1.8b in 5 years

The country's top 100 philanthropists have given away 12.9 billion ($1.8 billion) since 2003, with education, social welfare and poverty reduction attracting the most donors, the Hurun Philanthropy List released yesterday in Shanghai.

Twenty-seven donors each gave more than 100 million yuan this year, compared with 15 donors last year, stated the list, a ranking of the country's most generous individuals and into its fifth year.

Topping the list for the third year running is 86-year-old Yu Pengnian, a Shenzhen hotel and real estate entrepreneur, who has endowed his foundation with 3 billion yuan in the past five years to provide cataract operations.