Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty
From left: Philanthropists Laura and John Arnold on Oct. 9, 2018, in Houston.
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Laura and John Arnold fell Forbes‘ list of the 400 highest earners this year, who have donated $2 billion so far
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The couple currently ranks among the top 25 most generous donors in the country, per Forbes
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Both Laura and John have long been committed to charity and ensure they donate their money to worthy causes
A billionaire couple has left ForbesAfter giving away nearly half of his personal wealth to charity, he has made it to the list of America’s 400 richest people.
In 2023, John was ranked 345th Forbes 400. Two years later, in 2025, the 51-year-old philanthropist was ranked 1,265 on the list of all billionaires in the country, putting him outside the top 400 richest people.
The change is long overdue because the Arnolds have devoted their vast fortune to giving away for more than a decade, having donated $2 billion, according to the outlet, which ranks them among the top 25 most generous donors in the United States. Their net worth is currently estimated at $2.9 billion.
Currently, the Arnolds have given away an estimated 42% of their personal fortune — and they show no signs of slowing down in their philanthropic efforts.
John previously worked at Enron, earning $750 million for the company in 2001, the year it went bankrupt. Forbes.
The following year, he founded his own hedge fund, Centaurus Advisors, according to Bloomberg — but 10 years later, he announced that he no longer manages other people’s money. Forbes.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty
Philanthropists Laura and John Arnold, who dropped out of the Forbes 400 list in 2025
Meanwhile, Laura previously worked as a mergers and acquisitions attorney at Wachtel, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York City, according to a news release shared by Rice University after she was elected as a trustee in April 2010.
He also served as executive vice president and general counsel of Cobalt International Energy in Houston until his departure in 2006.
In 2008, John and Laura launched the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, which has since evolved into Arnold Ventures. The organization currently focuses on criminal justice, higher education, health, infrastructure and public finance reform, according to its website.
“They believe that philanthropy should be transformative and seek through innovation to solve persistent problems in society,” reads a message on the organization’s website.
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John Arnold, co-founder and co-chairman, Arnold Ventures, speaks on stage at the Texas Tribune Festival at the Omni Hotel on September 06, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
In 2010, John and Laura both signed The Giving Pledge, which was launched that same year by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates.
In a letter announcing their commitment to give the majority of their fortune to philanthropic causes, the couple wrote that they both “view our wealth … not as an end in itself, but as a means to effect positive and transformative change.”
