Warren Buffett's historic $31bn donation to the Gates Foundation made 2006 a banner year for US charitable giving, smashing previous records by a huge margin.

According to figures from the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the top 15 charitable gifts and pledges in the US weighed in at $35bn (£18bn). By contrast, the largest 15 gifts of 2005 and 2004 totalled $2bn and $4.4bn respectively, according to the Chronicle, which has compiled an annual list of the largest announced gifts and pledges by individuals since 1997.