John Jellinek highlights David Rubenstein a member of the Giving Pledge taken by many of the country's billionaires. See what David has done in the world of charity.

1. David Rubenstein
The Private Equity Master Whose Philanthropy Is
Helping To Change The World

2. David Rubenstein has a hefty $3.1 billion fortune thanks
to his financial success in the world of private equity.
He started the Carlyle Group -- which is one of the
largest private equity firms in the world -- and is now
known for his financial insights and business acumen.
Rubenstein is one of the wealthiest people in America.

3. …and he certainly didn’t grow
up in a wealthy world. Neither
of his parents graduated from
college; in fact, they didn’t
even finish high school! His
father was a post-office
worker and his small house in
Baltimore reflected those
modest means.
But Rubenstein wasn’t
always this rich…

4. It is because of these small-time roots that Rubenstein never forgets
where his life all began. He is among a group of billionaires, including
Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who have agreed to give away the
majority of their wealth before they die as part of The Giving Pledge.

5. The National Zoo’s panda program was in critical condition
back in 2011. When only 1500 pandas were left, Rubenstein
was inspired and contributed $4.5 million to help kickstart
fundraising for the giant panda reproduction program. The
panda complex has since been named after him in honor of
his efforts.

6. Rubenstein has consistently donated to
help benefit Duke University, his alma
mater.
His philanthropic
contributions have
helped to improve Duke
athletics and Duke’s
special collections
library, and he has
generously donated to
fund undergraduate
internships and graduate
fellowships.

7. A great deal of Rubenstein’s philanthropy has gone to
admirable patriotic causes, including the purchase of the last
privately owned copy of the Magna Carta. He bought the
document for $21.3 million, and then lent it to the National
Archives for professional preservation and increased public
access. He then donated another $13.5 million to help the
National Archives upgrade their visitor center and install a
new gallery.

8. When the John F. Kennedy Center for
the Performing Arts kicked off…
…a $125 million
fundraising campaign to
expand its campus and
programs in arts
education, Rubenstein
led those efforts with a
$50 million donation. The
gift made Rubenstein the
center’s largest donor in
its entire history.

9. Rubenstein’s philanthropic donations have also helped pave
the way for multi-million dollar Washington Monument repairs
and costly renovations from the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.

10. David Rubenstein currently serves as
chairman for the JFK Center for the
Performing Arts in addition to his role as
Managing Director of the Carlyle Group.

11. http://johnjellinek.org