Buffett gives away $1.51 billion

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett gave $1.51 billion to four charities this week, a filing at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shows.

Buffett has said he will give away most of his fortune to worthy causes. This year, he continued his practice of giving the bulk of his donations to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which received $1.25 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. stock, the Omaha World-Herald reported Friday.

Foundations run by Buffett’s three children each received $43.9 million worth of stock while the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named for his late wife, was the beneficiary of $125.3 million, the filing said.

The value of Buffett’s annual donations, made at the same time each year, have fluctuated year-to-year, as they are based on stocks, not monetary value, the newspaper said.

In 2006, Buffett’s philanthropic donations were valued at $1.93 billion. The following year, he gave away $2.12 billion. Last year, Buffett’s donations were valued at $1.9 billion.