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Person

Lynne Benioff

Occupation:

Philanthropist
Residence:

San Francisco, California

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Lynne Benioff is the wife of Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. She and her husband are prominent philanthropists who signed the Warren Buffett-led Giving Pledge in 2016 and have been on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Philanthropy 50” ten times since 2010. Their philanthropy focuses on children’s health, affordable housing, the environment, and climate change. 1 2

Background

Lynne Benioff (nee Krilich) graduated from the University of Washington and was director of public relations campaigns at OutCast Communications. 3 She married Marc Benioff, the co-founder of software firm Salesforce, in Hawaii in 2006 and has two children. 1 In 2018, Benioff became the owner of TIME magazine. 4 As of June 2025, he had an estimated net worth of $9.2 billion. 5

Benioff is the co-chair of TIME magazine. 6 In 2015, then-President Barack Obama appointed Benioff to the board of the Presidio Trust, a government agency that preserves the Presidio National Park in San Francisco. 4 7

She is a prominent philanthropist with a focus on children’s health and education, affordable housing, and the environment. 2 She is a lifetime director of the University of California San Francisco Foundation (UCSF) and as of 2025 sat on the boards of the Rise Fund, Common Sense Media, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, and the Benioff Ocean Initiative. 4 The Rise Fund is a global impact investment fund that invests in companies that “achieve social and environmental impact alongside financial returns.” It aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 8 Other board members of Rise Fund have included billionaires Jeffrey Skoll, Reid Hoffman, and Laurene Powell Jobs. 9

Politics

Although Benioff’s political standings are not publicized, her husband has been a top Democratic contributor according to Forbes 10 and has advocated for LGBT interests. 11 He has criticized the “horrifying inequality” in America and advocates higher taxes on the wealthy to support “education and health care and fight climate change.” 12

Philanthropy

Lynne and Marc Benioff are listed as number 14 in the Chronicle of Philanthropy‘s “Philanthropy 50” in 2025. 13 Others on this list include Michael Bloomberg, Melinda French Gates, and Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg. 14 The Benioffs have been on the list ten times due to their philanthropic gifts of over $1 billion since 2010. 15

In 2016, the Benioffs signed the Giving Pledge. Billionaires Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett established the Giving Pledge in 2010 as a commitment for the world’s wealthiest people to donate the majority of their wealth to charity in their lifetime or upon their deaths. 16 17

In 2010, the Benioffs granted $100 million to the University of California San Francisco Children’s Hospital, where their daughter was born, for a new building which was named the San Francisco Benioff Children’s Hospital. They have continued to provide grants to this organization since. 2

In 2014, the Benioffs made a $500,000 grant to the California Endowment to support unaccompanied minors from Central American countries who have entered California. 2

The Benioffs founded the Benioff Ocean Initiative in 2016 with a $10 million grant. They donated an additional $60 million in 2022. 18  It is now known as the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory at the University of California, Santa Barbara. It focuses on environmental conservation, including reducing plastic pollution in oceans and preventing ship collisions with endangered whales. 6 19 This includes a “$10 million challenge to contribute to global efforts to stop the advance of climate change. 20 Benioff continues to be on the board of advisors for the organization. 21

In 2019, the Benioffs established the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco with a $30 million grant. As of 2019, they had given $66 million to end homelessness in San Francisco. 22

The Benioffs have also donated to left-of-center nonprofit organizations such as America’s Promise—The Alliance for Youth, the Opportunity Institute, the ONE Campaign, Friends of Ocean Action, Sustainable Oceans Alliance, American Forests, and the World Central Kitchen. 2

For over 20 years, the Benioffs have donated to various charities in Hawaii. As of June 2024, their gifts in the state exceeded $250 million. In 2024, they donated $150 million to “increase healthcare access, address critical infrastructure gaps and help ensure excellent and continuous care for communities in the state.” The grant was one of the largest in Hawaii’s history and was designed to connect two medical facilities in Hawaii with University of California San Francisco Health. They also donated 440 acres of land in Hawaii to a local nonprofit to support the “expansion of affordable housing.” In 2023, they granted $5 million to forgive student loan debt for medical professionals in Hawaii. 23 24 1

References

  1. Lynn Farah. “Meet Salesforce billionaire Marc Benioff’s wife, Lynne: a philanthropist who’s joined her partner in giving vast sums to charity, her difficult pregnancy highlighted patient care in hospitals.” Style. April 20, 2025. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3306959/meet-salesforce-billionaire-marc-benioffs-wife-lynne-philanthropist-whos-joined-her-partner-giving
  2. Maria Di Mento. “Lynne and Marc Benioff.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy – Philanthropy 50. March 4, 2025. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.philanthropy.com/article/the-philanthropy-50/#id=details_311_2024
  3. Alexander. “Lynne Benioff: The Philanthropic Powerhouse Lynn Benioff.” Curated Magazine. June 2023. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://curatedmag.com/lynne-benioff-the-philanthropic-powerhouse-lynne-benioff/
  4. Mary Connelly. “Giving Back – Who is Marc Benioff’s wife, Lynne?” The U.S. Sun. February 29, 2024. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.the-sun.com/news/10531018/marc-benioff-wife-children-net-worth/
  5. “Marc Benioff.” Forbes Profile. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/profile/marc-benioff/?sh=348e5cb3ee0e
  6. Ian. “Inside Marc Benioff’s Family: Meet the Influential Figures in His Life.” Pressfarm. March 5, 2025. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://press.farm/inside-marc-benioffs-family-influential-figures/
  7. “About the Presidio Trust.” Presidio. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://presidio.gov/about/presidio-trust
  8. “The Rise Fund.” Climate Tech Review. Accessed June 21, 2025. https://climatetechreview.com/listing/the-rise-fund/
  9. “Global Advisory Board.” TPG – The Rise Funds. Accessed June 21, 2025. https://www.tpg.com/platforms/impact/the-rise-funds/global-advisory-board
  10. Michela Tindera. Here Are The Billionaires Funding The Democratic Presidential Candidates, As Of September 2019.” November 18, 2019. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelatindera/2019/11/18/here-are-the-billionaires-funding-the-democratic-presidential-candidates-as-of-september-2019/
  11. Katy Steinmetz. “Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff : Anti-LGBT Bills Are ‘Anti-Business’.” Yahoo Finance. March 31, 2016. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-anti-195015643.html
  12. Catherine Clifford. “”Billionaire Marc Benioff: Capitalism has ‘led to horrifying inequality’ and must be fixed.” CNBC. October 14, 2019. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/14/marc-benioff-capitalism-led-to-horrifying-inequality-must-be-fixed.html
  13. “Lynne and Marc Benioff.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy – Philanthropy 50. March 4, 2025. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.philanthropy.com/article/the-philanthropy-50/#id=details_311_2024
  14. Maria Di Mento. The Chronicle of Philanthropy – Philanthropy 50. March 4, 2025. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.philanthropy.com/article/the-philanthropy-50/?sra=true#id=browse_2024
  15. “Marc and Lynne Benioff Recognized as Top Philanthropists for 10th Year.” Salesforce – News & Insights. March 11, 2025. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/marc-and-lynne-benioff-philanthropy/
  16. “Lynne and Marc Benioff.” The Giving Pledge. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.givingpledge.org/pledger/lynne-and-marc-benioff/
  17. “About the Giving Pledge.” The Giving Pledge. Accessed June 19, 2025. https://www.givingpledge.org/about-the-giving-pledge/
  18. “Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory.” University of California, Santa Barbara. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://msi.ucsb.edu/research/collaborative-programs/bosl
  19. “Our Work.” Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://bosl.ucsb.edu/our-work/
  20. Shelly Leachman, UCSB. “Marc and Lynne Benioff Give $60 Million to UC Santa Barbara in Support of Ocean Research.” Santa Barbara Independent. September 21, 2022. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.independent.com/2022/09/21/marc-and-lynne-benioff-give-60-million-to-uc-santa-barbara-in-support-of-ocean-research/
  21. “Board of Advisors.” Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory – Who We Are. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://bosl.ucsb.edu/who-we-are/team/
  22. Laura Kurtzman. “UCSF Launches New Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative with $30M Gift.” University of California San Francisco. May 1, 2019. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2019/05/414316/ucsf-launches-new-benioff-homelessness-and-housing-initiative-30m-gift
  23. “Transformative Gift from Salesforce Chair and CEO Marc Benioff and Lynne Benioff Will Expand Access and Continuity of Health Care in Hawaii.” Hawai’I Pacific Health. March 5, 2024. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.hawaiipacifichealth.org/news/2024/transformative-gift-from-lynne-and-marc-benioff/
  24. “Marc and Lynne Benioff’s Philanthropy in Hawai’i.” Salesforce. July 16, 2024. Accessed June 20, 2025. https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/marc-and-hawaii/
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