Who Are Nancy And Richard Kinder? US Billionaire Couple Donates 95% Of Wealth

Houston-based billionaires Nancy and Rich Kinder have reportedly pledged 95% of their wealth to local causes, including parks, education, and arts. The couple said that they have decided to donate almost all of their multi-billion-dollar fortune (almost $10 billion) to improve the city that made them who they are.

Who are they, actually?

Nancy and Rich Kinder are among the wealthiest individuals in America. According to the Houston Chronicle, Richard and Nancy Kinder have a projected net worth of $11.2 billion. Meanwhile, their real net worth is estimated to be approximately $11.3 billion, according to Forbes.

Richard Kinder, an 81-year-old industrialist, is the co-founder and executive chairman of Kinder Morgan, an energy and pipeline corporation. He was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 1944. After that, he secured a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966 and a Juris Doctor in 1968, both from the University of Missouri. 

He married Nancy McNeil, a philanthropist, in 1997. She is the President and CEO of their social welfare organisation, the Kinder Foundation, which was established in 1997. 

The Kinders have long been acknowledged for their altruism. They have donated millions to major Houston institutions such as Rice University, Texas Children's Hospital, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. They are also members of The Giving Pledge, a campaign launched in 2010 by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett, which encourages billionaires to donate the majority of their wealth to Humanitarianism.

In an interview with ABC13 Houston’s Melanie Lawson, the couple spoke about the importance of giving back to society, stating that accumulated wealth is a result of the help received from others. He believes that one's goal should be to leave the world "a little better" than they found it.