Azim Premji, on Wednesday, announced a fresh bequest to the Azim Premji Foundation, boosting his total commitment to Rs 1.45 lakh crore ($21 billion), making it one of the five largest private endowments in the world and the biggest in Asia. India’s most generous billionaire announced that all earnings from approximately 34% shares of Wipro would be transferred to his eponymous philanthropic initiative. This has cemented the 73-year-old billionaire’s place alongside the world’s most influential philanthropists including Bill Gates, George Soros and Warren Buffett.
In 2017, Wipro chairman Azim Premji received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy during a ceremony held at the New York Public Library. A couple of years ago, Premji became the first Indian to sign the Giving Pledge, sponsored by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, an invitation to the world's wealthiest to donate a majority of their wealth to charity.
As he accepted the honour in NYC, Premji said, "When one is showered [with] wealth beyond what one deserves, I think the question really arises, what does one really do with this wealth? I was guided by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, which said that wealth is a trusteeship and it should not be used as ownership."
He added that his family - wife Yasmeen and sons, Tariq and Rishad - have been pillars of support in his philanthropic journey. At that time, Premji had committed 50 per cent of his stake in Wipro for philanthropic purposes, with a special focus on education.
Rishad and Yasmeen Premji.
Azim Premji Conferred With Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur; Other Indians Who Received The Honour
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IT czar and philanthropist Azim Premji has been bestowed with the highest French civilian distinction Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) The chairman of Wipro received the distinction for his contribution to developing the IT industry in India, his economic outreach in France, and his contribution to society.
The Legion d'Honneur (Legion of Honour), instituted in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients.
IT czar and philanthropist Azim Premji has been bestowed with the highest French civilian distinction Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) The chairman of Wipro received ..
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Zubin Mehta, a conductor of Western and Eastern classical music and the current music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, has been the recipient of several honours. Having received the Padma Bhushan in 1966, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. The same year French President Jacques Chirac honoured him with the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.
Zubin Mehta, a conductor of Western and Eastern classical music and the current music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, has been the recipient of several honours. Having received the Pad..
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Nadir Godrej, the MD of Godrej Industries, has an old connection with France, right from the time he along with cousin Jamshyd Godrej took a break from studies in the US to spend a summer in the south of France in 1970. Godrej even claimed that he started thinking in French.
The India Inc boss has received the Ordre National du Mérite and the Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur (2008) from the Government of France for his achievements.
Nadir Godrej, the MD of Godrej Industries, has an old connection with France, right from the time he along with cousin Jamshyd Godrej took a break from studies in the US to spend a summer in the sout..
