Donations: $2.6 billionEducation: BA/BS, Michigan State UniversityMarital Status: Married ,Children: 2

Son of Lithuanian immigrants, born in the Bronx, and raised in Detroit, Eli Broad has an estimated net worth of $7.4 billion in July 2017, according to Bloomberg.

American philanthropist, entrepreneur,successful businessman and Los Angeles’ most influential arts patron stirred up controversy over the extent of his dominion after drawing up the terms to build his own museum on downtown’s Grand Avenue. Broad bought first patch of land at age 20.

Broad, who made two fortunes, first as a homebuilder and later in the insurance-annuities industry, has lately been focused on philanthropy. He has tried to reform public education by giving awards to individual educators. Last year he got approval to build a museum in Los Angeles. His foundation also helps fund medical research; it has given more than half a billion dollars for a stem cell research institute at Harvard and M.I.T.

Kaufman & Broad with $25,000 borrowed from in-laws; became one of nation’s biggest home builders supplying parents of baby boomers with affordable housing. Bought Sun Life Insurance (later renamed SunAmerica) in 1971; sold to AIG 1998 for $18 billion in cash and stock. Contemporary art collector created the Broad Art Foundation 1984; today his lending library makes extensive contemporary art collection available to institutions around the world.

Over the years has used his checkbook and influence to promote better public school educators, extend grants to charter schools and encourage scientific research in the fields of inflammatory bowel disease, human genomics, and stem cells.