Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen (Instagram and Getty Images)
In November 2022, questions emerged about how Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen used their wealth to support charitable causes. A report by the New York Post examined the couple's Luz Foundation, revealing that its donations between 2007 and 2019 were modest compared with their estimated fortune.
The findings drew attention to the difference between celebrity wealth and charitable giving, particularly as the former couple had built public profiles around philanthropy, wellness and environmental causes.
The report also examined the foundation's spending, its beneficiaries and Brady's separate charitable organisation.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen's Luz Foundation faced questions over donations
The Luz Foundation was established in 2007, with Bündchen saying its purpose was to support young girls through grants and other assistance. However, the New York Post reported that the nonprofit distributed $640,402 to various organisations between 2007 and 2019, based on available records.Some of its donations went to environmental groups and organisations supporting meditation, yoga and physical fitness. In 2018, the foundation reportedly gave $300 to Waterkeeper Nicoya Peninsula, $900 to the World Wildlife Fund and $1,000 to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.Its larger contributions included $25,000 to the David Lynch Foundation and another $25,000 to You Go Girl Yoga in 2017. The following year, the Pointing Out the Great Way Foundation received $80,000 from the organisation's $350,000 budget, according to the report.
Bündchen had previously spoken about her commitment to charitable work. In a 2015 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, she explained why her professional career mattered to her philanthropic goals.“My life is devoted to this,” said Bündchen in a 2015 interview.She also described how her work helped fund causes she cared about, challenging the assumption that modelling was her only focus.“My life is devoted to this,” said Bündchen in a 2015 interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. “I know from the outside that people think, ‘This girl just poses for pictures.’ But in my head, I’m thinking the whole time, ‘Okay, if I take this job, then I can have more money to put into this [project].’ So that’s what I’m doing, because that’s [why] God gave me to do what I can do, right?”
Tom Brady's also attracted scrutiny
Brady operated a separate charitable organisation, the TB12 Foundation, which aimed to help athletes access health and wellness resources. However, a report by The Daily Beast raised questions about its financial relationship with his for-profit company, TB12 LLC.According to the outlet, the charitable foundation had paid more than $1.6 million to TB12 LLC since its launch in 2015, making the company its largest contractor. Brady served as the foundation's president, while its treasurer, Jeffrey Surette, also held an executive position at the business.
The scrutiny came alongside the couple's high-profile charitable efforts. In 2020, Brady and Bündchen contributed 750,000 meals to Feeding Tampa Bay during the COVID-19 pandemic.Their association with cryptocurrency exchange FTX also drew attention after its collapse. Both had invested in and promoted the company, and they later faced a lawsuit alongside other celebrity endorsers from investors who alleged losses connected to the bankruptcy.The November 2022 report offered a snapshot of the questions surrounding celebrity philanthropy, financial transparency and the responsibilities that come with running charitable organisations. Its findings were based on records available at the time and should be understood in that historical context.