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 off the ForbesList of this year’s 400 biggest earners after giving away $2 billion to date
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The couple is currently among the top 25 most generous donors in the country, per Forbes
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Both Laura and John have long been involved in philanthropy and make sure they donate their money to worthy causes
A billionaire couple left Forbes‘ list of America’s 400 richest people, after giving away nearly half of their personal wealth to philanthropy.
In 2023, John was ranked 345th on the list Forbes 400. Two years later, in 2025, the 51-year-old philanthropist was ranked 1,265th on their list of all the country’s billionaires, placing him well outside the top 400 richest individuals.
The change has been a long time coming, as the Arnolds have been dedicated to donating their vast fortune for more than a decade, having given away $2 billion to date, according to the publication, which ranks them among the top 25 most generous donors in the United States. Their wealth is currently estimated at around $2.9 billion.
Currently, the Arnolds have given away about 42 percent of their personal wealth — 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, according to records. Forbes.
The following year, he founded his own hedge fund, Centaurus Advisors, according to Bloomberg — but 10 years later, he announced that he would no longer manage other people’s money, Forbes.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty
Philanthropists Laura and John Arnold, who fell off the Forbes 400 list in 2025
Laura, meanwhile, previously worked as a mergers and acquisitions attorney at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York City, according to a news release distributed by Rice University after she was elected a trustee in April 2010.
She also served as executive vice president and general counsel of Houston-based Cobalt International Energy until her 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 reforming criminal justice, higher education, health, infrastructure and public finance, according to its website.
“They believe that philanthropy should be transformative and should seek through innovation to solve persistent problems in society,” reads a message on the organization’s website.
Rick Kern/Getty
John Arnold, co-founder and co-chairman, Arnold Ventures, speaks on stage during the Texas Tribune Festival at the Omni Hotel on September 06, 2024 in Austin, Texas.
In 2010, both John and Laura signed The Giving Pledge, which was launched the same year by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates.
In a letter announcing their commitment to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes, the couple wrote that they both “see our wealth … not as an end in itself, but as a tool to effect positive and transformative change.”