Oprah Winfrey Graces the Cover of Forbes Magazine; One of the Most Giving Philanthropists!

So what does $126 Billion dollars look like? Forbes has the photo for all to see; Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, Bill and Melinda Gates–it was a gathering of giants to say the least. The highly anticipated cover of not only the wealthiest people, but also the most giving people was reveled today!  If you follow Forbes on Twitter, you have seen Tweets over the last few weeks, asking followers to guess the top 12, in the whited out photo, no doubt I knew Oprah was in that pic! On June 26 Forbes magazine convened the first-ever Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy, a gathering of 161 billionaires and near-billionaires intent on solving the world’s most intractable problems. The historic photo folds out as the cover of the 30th annual Forbes 400 issue, the definitive ranking of America’s wealthiest people.

The summit was held at the New York Public Library, the greatest-ever meeting of its kind. Oprah Winfrey kicked off the day, and Warren Buffett and Bill Gates also gave keynote talks. Melinda Gates, Diane Von Furstenberg and Jacqueline Novogratz headlined a panel about giving to women and girls. Marc Andreessen, Marc Benioff and Jim Breyer talked about using tech-driven metrics to improve philanthropic efficacy. Jon Bon Jovi chatted with Steve Forbes about using fame as a force for good.

“In terms of giving where you really want to make a sustainable change, that has to be thoughtful and strategic,” said Oprah.

The highlight of the day was a roundtable featuring six all-time great philanthropists — Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates, Steve Case, David Rubenstein and Leon Black — who have collectively pledged or given over $100 billion to charity (with the heaviest lifting from the first three, who also spearheaded The Giving Pledge). With just the smallest nudging from yours truly, this historic sextet provided one of the great primers on how to give back effectively — and why it’s important.

Be sure to pick up an issue of this month’s Forbes magazine for the full story!