A lot of public personalities have stepped up to help people deal with the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. From celebrities to billionaires, the world has come together to fight and solve a common threat.
At the forefront of this battle is China’s wealthiest man, Jack Ma. Let’s take a look at his most significant contributions to the worldwide efforts against COVID-19.
Focused Efforts
The 55-year-old billionaire may have gained a reputation for throwing lavish parties but it looks like he also knows how to spend his fortune for a good cause. In fact, Ma is so committed to his current goal of helping the world during the coronavirus pandemic that he has seemingly dedicated his Twitter account to it.
Looking at his timeline, you’d see him campaigning for every country to get the medical supplies they need to save its citizens from the contagious illness brought by the novel coronavirus. There is one downside though to the Chinese businessman’s efforts.
Because he has to follow his country’s guidelines for donating, Ma supposedly can’t send supplies to other nations China may be at odds with. A definitive list of these countries won’t be released anytime soon.
Vital Donations
Focusing on the brighter side of things, the aforementioned restrictions didn’t discourage Ma from carrying on his mission. So far, he has reportedly given away 120 million face masks, over 3,700 ventilators, and 4.1 million testing kits.
The philanthropist’s donations have been received by numerous countries in Latin America and the African continent. The supplies he provided were also praised for being of better quality when compared to the ones the Chinese government has sent over to help other countries.
More importantly, Ma has donated $14.4 million to fund scientists and medical professionals who are rushing to find a vaccine for the coronavirus.
Tech Billionaires in Action
Fortunately, Ma isn’t the only tech billionaire actively contributing to fight the pandemic.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melissa have been busy doing the same through their own foundation. He even recently stepped down from the company’s board so he can focus more on pursuing philanthropy.
There’s also Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who’s actually pledged a billion of his own wealth to the coronavirus relief and other charitable causes. For context, the businessman has a net worth of $4.7 billion.