There has been little scholarly investigation into the relative propensity for entrepreneurs to participate in philanthropic endeavour, and whether entrepreneurs are inclined to adopt particular forms or approaches to their philanthropy. This article explores the extent to which extant international literature on giving by the wealthy has acknowledged and explored entrepreneurialism as influencing the propensity of the wealthy to give, and the extent to which it impacts on the nature of that giving. The authors conclude that there is a need for specific research into entrepreneurialism and philanthropy, and that such research needs to be sensitive to the national peculiarities of political, cultural and regulatory contexts.