Clinton Summit Pulls in Billions

(Newser) – Over 1,000 philanthropists pledged billions of dollars at this year's Clinton Global Initiative, where the ex-president annually brings together world leaders, corporate biggies and change-minded celebs. Angelina Jolie plans to educate 1 million children in conflicted areas; Brad Pitt pledged $5 million to build homes in New Orleans, and Norway and the Netherlands promised $1.2 billion to save the lives of pregnant women and babies in Africa.

"We're faced with complex problems that government is either not solving or cannot solve," said Clinton in opening remarks at a Manhattan hotel. Attending the summit costs $15,000, and members have to make pledges and honor them if they want repeat invitations. Since its inception in 2005, the initiative has drawn more than $10 billion in pledges.