They Made Billions in Texas—Now They’re Giving It Back
- Adderall Shop
- Oct 20
- 4 min read
In a world where wealth often makes headlines for excess, Nancy and Rich Kinder are making waves for a different reason: giving almost all of it away.
With a staggering net worth of $11.2 billion, the Houston-based billionaire couple has reaffirmed their commitment to donate 95% of their fortune — nearly $10 billion — to the people, places, and causes that have shaped them.
And they’re starting right where it matters most: Houston, Texas.
🌟 Not Just Philanthropy — A Texas-Sized Promise to the Community
This isn’t just a donation. It’s a transformational movement, led by two of Texas’ most successful residents, aimed at preserving the soul of Houston while planting seeds for its future.
“Whatever wealth you accumulate is really the result of a lot of other people helping you along the way,” said Rich Kinder in an interview with ABC13’s Melanie Lawson. "We felt early on that the right thing to do was to give most — or all — of it away.”
Their words aren’t hollow. The Kinders have been giving for decades, focusing on initiatives that improve urban green spaces, educational equity, arts access, and community empowerment. Through the Kinder Foundation, they have quietly become some of the most influential changemakers in Houston’s modern history.
🎯 The $18.5M Emancipation Park Expansion: Heart of Third Ward, Heart of Houston
Most recently, Nancy and Rich Kinder made headlines during the groundbreaking of a major $18.5 million expansion at Emancipation Park, located in Houston’s historic Third Ward — one of the city’s oldest African American communities.
Backed by the Kinder Foundation’s lead funding, this expansion will add:
A new outdoor performance stage
A fully renovated cultural center
Enhanced public gathering areas, designed to preserve history while inviting the future
The project is scheduled for completion by Juneteenth 2026, a powerful milestone for a park originally founded by formerly enslaved Texans to celebrate emancipation.
“It’s really the heart of Third Ward,” Rich said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle. “It needs to be enhanced and preserved for generations to come.”
Since 2012, the Kinders have supported the park’s Jazzy Sundays concert series, bringing thousands of residents together with free music, culture, and celebration.
🏞️ Why Parks, Why Now? Because Houston’s Future Depends on It
When city budgets get tight, it’s parks and public spaces that are often the first to feel the pinch. That’s exactly why the Kinders have stepped in.
Their gifts — totaling hundreds of millions of dollars — have revitalized Houston landmarks like:
Buffalo Bayou Park
Discovery Green
Memorial Park’s Eastern Glades
Bayou Greenways 2020, a 150-mile network of connected green trails
Each of these projects doesn’t just beautify the city — they create safe, accessible spaces where communities gather, families grow, and histories are honored.
“We believe parks, arts, and education are the soul of a city,” Nancy Kinder said. “They define how people live — and how they feel about where they live.”📚 Education, Arts & Equity: Giving That Goes Beyond Green Space
The Kinders' giving isn't just about parks. Their Kinder Foundation has invested deeply in education reform, public school programs, and higher learning institutions, including:
Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University
Annual support to United Way of Greater Houston — $1 million a year for five years
Grants to arts organizations, museums, and public libraries
Their vision is clear: invest in the next generation of Texans by giving them the tools, access, and inspiration to lead.
🤝 From Houston to All of Texas: A Legacy of Leadership Through Giving
In 2011, the Kinders joined The Giving Pledge, started by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett. But while most signatories committed to giving away at least half of their fortunes, the Kinders went further — committing to give 95%.
This places them among the most generous billionaires in the world, and certainly the most impactful in Texas.
“We want our grandchildren to be proud of us,” said Nancy Kinder. “And we want them to know this is what we expect of them — to give back when they can.”
That expectation — that responsibility — is what sets the Kinders apart. Their story is not about charity. It’s about stewardship, community, and a shared belief in the power of giving to shape the future.
💡 What Texans Can Learn from the Kinders’ $10 Billion Gift
The Kinders’ story is more than a local headline — it’s a Texas blueprint for meaningful impact:
Invest where you live
Give without ego
Lift up what others overlook
Preserve history while building the future
At a time when cities across Texas face increasing challenges — from rising populations to climate resilience to educational disparities — the Kinders’ model shows us that strategic philanthropy can solve real problems at scale.
Their message to fellow Texans? You don’t have to be a billionaire to make a difference. Start with your neighborhood, your park, your school — and build from there.
Nancy and Rich Kinder could have gone anywhere, done anything. But they chose to stay in Houston — to invest in its people, uplift its heritage, and build for its future.
Their $10 billion pledge isn’t just a gift — it’s a challenge to all of us to look at what we’re doing for the places we love.
Houston, Texas — the Kinders have your back. Now it’s our turn to carry the torch forward.
