Yu Panglin

Cause: Medical care for China's poor. In giving away hundreds of millions in recent years—$250 million in 2005 alone—Yu, 85, has funded vital treatments for needy Chinese, including cataract surgery for more than 40,000 poor villagers. The Shenzhen-based hotelier earned his fortune developing properties.

Impact: Rated China's top philanthropist in the Hurun Report, which assesses local donors, Yu has drawn attention to rural health care.