Money has never been an end goal for either of us. Neither of us grew up with much means. We certainly never planned nor ever expected the financial wealth with which we’ve been blessed. Both of us are children of immigrants who came to the US to create a better life for us. Along our journeys, even if we may not have recognized it at the time, there were so many supporters in addition to our families who helped us without ever asking for anything in return: teachers, classmates, friends, mentors – giving us the greatest possible chance to be successful in whichever endeavor we pursued. These people demonstrated to us that the greatest return on investment is in other people; we’d argue, it’s these kinds of investments that gave us incredible fortune to maximize the impact of our given talents and effort.

While having significant wealth is a foreign position for us, we recognize that the most productive and authentic way for us to understand the relationship with this newfound privilege is to invest it in others who will create the greatest positive impact for future generations. Just like it was done for us, we hope to make investments that will give dreamers and doers – particularly those that are underfunded or are playing from behind – the encouragement and luck necessary to maximize their potential and positively impact the world. This is why we’re honored, humbled, and excited to be signing the Giving Pledge.

Patricia Bao and Tony Xu
November 2021