As in ‘Billion’ With a ‘B’: Reed Hastings Donates $1.1 Billion in Netflix Stock to Charity

Reed Hastings, founder and CEO, Netflix during the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, at Taj Palace on December 6, 2019 in New Delhi, India.
Reed Hastings (Image credit: Amal KS/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Netflix co-founder and executive chairman Reed Hastings has donated 2 million shares of Netflix stock, valued at around $1.1 billion, to an unidentified group, according to a Securities & Exchange Commission filing

According to numerous reports, the unnamed entity is the Silicon Valley Foundation, a popular charity for tech-biz earth movers because of the tax breaks and privacy it offers. 

Hastings still owns approximately 3 million shares, valued at $1.72 billion, through his family trust, in addition to several million stock options. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Hastings now ranks No. 491 on the list of the wealthiest individuals, with a remaining personal wealth of $5.49 billion. 

Hastings has a track record of large donations to educational entities. 

In 2020, for example, Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, created a $120 million scholarship pool at Black universities Spelman College and Morehouse College, as well as with the United Negro College Fund. 

Currently trading at nearly $576 per share, Netflix stock is on a trajectory to surpass the all-time high of $690.31 a share reached in October 2021.

Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!