Exclusive: Tech billionaire pledges ‘game-changing’ $100 million donation for S.F. parks

San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie announced on Monday that Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is donating $100 million to the city’s parks. According to Mayor Lurie, the contribution represents the largest donation in the city by a single donor. KQED reported that Chesky co-founded short-term rental company Airbnb in 2008, and NBC Bay Area noted the company was started in 2007. Forbes reports Chesky’s personal net worth is over $13 billion, with NBC Bay Area specifically estimating it at about $13.3 billion and ranking him as the 234th richest person in the world.

Speaking at a press conference at Golden Gate Park’s Conservatory of Flowers, Lurie stated that he hoped Airbnb’s donation would prompt more San Francisco-based entrepreneurs to support the city financially. Chesky stated that much of his success is attributed to the community and magic of San Francisco. According to the mayor’s office, Chesky worked with Lurie for months to support the city with funding for city-run services. Chesky stated during the press conference that he wanted his investment to help residents interact, noting that "the best antidote to division is connection."

Sarah Madland, general manager of the parks department, told KQED the money will be distributed in two phases, with the first installment potentially arriving as early as this year or the beginning of 2027. The first portion of funding commits $39 million to five projects already underway. NBC Bay Area reported that these projects include Rachele Sullivan Park in SoMa, renovations at Jackson Hill Playground in Potrero Hill, keeping Garfield Pool in the Mission open on Sundays, renovations at the Embarcadero, and completing India Basin Waterfront Park in Hunters Point. Madland explained that the donation will allow Rachele Sullivan Park to open in 2028 instead of 2031, while Garfield Square Park's pool will gain 500 more swim hours a year by opening on Sundays.

The department plans to spend the next year deciding where the remaining $61 million of the second phase will go, according to Madland. Any money coming to the department must first be reviewed and approved by the Board of Supervisors. Madland also noted that the $100 million constitutes about half the size of a typical general obligation bond. Prior to this gift, the largest private donation made to city parks was $25 million from the John Pritzker Family Fund to kickstart the India Basin project in 2019, while Chesky's gift stands as the largest philanthropic donation the city has ever received.