knowledge

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan sit atop a fortune that is currently valued at $113 billion, and they’ve promised to give almost all of it away. Their philanthropic funding group, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, is committed to investing in an array of fields, including science, education, housing insecurity, and expanding access to startup capital to entrepreneurs of color.

In 2015, when the self-described science nerds pledged 99 percent of their Facebook fortune to philanthropic causes over their lifetimes, they did not specify how they might spread their wealth. But at the STAT Summit on Wednesday, the couple went further in describing their goals, doubling down on science.

advertisement

“The science piece is a huge, huge part of that,” Zuckerberg said when asked about his spending plans. “I would imagine that if the company continues doing well that we will have $50 billion or more over time to put into this kind of work, but we want that to compound and grow over time as we get more confidence in the model.”

Get unlimited access to award-winning journalism and exclusive events.