Airbnb cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky is giving $100 million to San Francisco’s parks, a gift the city says is its largest it has ever received from a single donor.
And Mayor Daniel Lurie is hoping it won’t be the last it sees from wealthy private donors.
“To every leader who sees what Brian has done today: Our city is coming back, and you also have an opportunity not to watch from the sidelines but to be part of it,” Lurie said in a statement after announcing the donation Monday at a press event in Golden Gate Park.
Chesky cofounded Airbnb in San Francisco nearly two decades ago, and he told the San Francisco Chronicle that the company’s success is what drove him to give back.
“A lot of my success I feel like I could attribute to the magic that is San Francisco—the community, the incredible people here,” Chesky said. Airbnb has grown to have a $110 billion market cap, employ more than 8,000 people, and have more than 9 million active listings worldwide. Chesky’s net worth is currently estimated at $13.4 billion.
His gift will be delivered in two phases, according to the city. The first $39 million will go toward five projects in SoMa, the Mission, Bayview-Hunters Point, Potrero Hill, and the downtown waterfront. The Recreation and Park Department (RPD) will spend the next year deciding how to use the remaining $61 million.
“This is a game-changing investment in San Francisco’s parks and people,” RPD General Manager Sarah Madland said in a statement. “It means long-awaited park projects move forward, more spaces for children and families to play, and stronger, more connected neighborhoods.”
Some major changes will come in western SoMa, an area the city describes as broadly lacking open space. Rachele Sullivan Park, a half-acre site on 11th Street, will now open in late 2028 instead of 2031, with a half-basketball court, a fitness area, a children’s play area, and shaded seating. Chesky’s money will also add Sunday pool hours at Garfield Square in the Mission, close a construction funding gap at India Basin Waterfront Park in Bayview-Hunters Point, pay for a full renovation of Potrero Hill’s Jackson Playground, and help combine Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park into a single five-acre waterfront park.
“Parks are where a city meets,” Chesky said in a statement. He told the Chronicle he chose parks because they’re “accessible to everyone” and residents will see results “very quickly.”
Chesky’s gift takes Lurie’s push to fund city priorities with private money to a new level, the Chronicle reported. The mayor led a major Bay Area charity before he was elected, and since taking office he has tapped companies and wealthy philanthropists to help cover the cost of several initiatives involving the economy, homelessness, and drug addiction. Some progressives have pushed back, questioning whether those donors’ priorities match the needs of everyday San Franciscans.
Not every ask has landed, though. Lurie has pressed local companies to do more for San Francisco as the AI boom adds to the city’s affordability struggles. When he approached OpenAI in June about teaming up with his administration on a civic project for residents, the company turned him down, according to documents obtained by the Chronicle.
“If others are interested in giving gifts to the city or working with Mayor Lurie, I would encourage it,” Chesky said.
Chesky signed the Giving Pledge in 2016 alongside his Airbnb cofounders, committing to give away the majority of his wealth. In 2022, he made a $100 million personal contribution to the Obama Foundation to fund the Voyager Scholarship for college students pursuing careers in public service.
Of the more than 250 billionaires who have signed the Giving Pledge, many haven’t yet followed through, Fortune previously reported, a shortfall pledge cofounder Melinda French Gates has publicly called out. Bridgespan cofounder Jeffrey Bradach has also described the lagging pace of giving among the ultrawealthy as “slow philanthropy.”
As for Chesky’s next philanthropic moves, he told the Chronicle he hasn’t decided, but “absolutely would love to continue to help the city.”
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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