BitMEX Co-Founder Pledges to Donate Personal Fortune to Combat Global Challenges

The co-founder of crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX, Ben Delo, has joined over 200 other billionaires by pledging to donate the majority of his wealth to charitable causes.

The Giving Pledge, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates along with Warren Buffet, is an initiative for the super-rich to commit more than half their wealth to charitable causes. In December of last year, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong became the first crypto entrepreneur to sign the pledge.

BitMEX’s Delo, who is 35, wrote in his pledge in April that he will use his fortune to “safeguard future generations and protect the long-term prospects of humanity.” To this end, Delo seeks to direct his attention — and his finances — to “navigate the challenges and opportunities posed by new technologies in the upcoming century.” He went on to highlight the causes of his concern:

“Our distant ancestors did not possess technology that could cause human extinction. We do. Nuclear security cannot be taken for granted. The prospect of extreme climate change is real. Looking forward, advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and synthetic biology will pose new and complex challenges.”

Last year, Delo became Britain’s youngest self-made billionaire. Despite his fortune, Delo said he mimics the frugal lifestyles of United States billionaire investor Warren Buffett. After graduating from Worcester College, Oxford in 2005 with a first-class degree in mathematics and computer science, Delo went on to co-found one of the largest crypto exchanges in the world, BitMEX, in 2014.