Marc Benioff Wife Lynne Benioff: Marriage, Philanthropy, Boards, and Family Life Today
If you’ve been searching for Marc Benioff wife, you’re likely trying to understand who stands beside the Salesforce founder outside the spotlight of tech headlines. That person is Lynne Benioff (also known as Lynne Krilich Benioff), and her public identity goes far beyond “spouse.” She’s a major philanthropic partner, a civic leader with board roles, and a co-owner of a legacy media brand—all while keeping her personal life notably private.
Who is Marc Benioff’s wife?
Marc Benioff’s wife is Lynne Benioff, often referenced by her full name Lynne Krilich Benioff. Public bios commonly describe her as a philanthropist and civic leader, and she’s frequently mentioned alongside Marc because the two have made large-scale gifts to healthcare, education, and environmental causes.
What makes her especially searchable is the combination of influence and discretion. She appears in major announcements and board appointments, but she does not live as a constant social media personality. That gap—high impact, low noise—creates curiosity.
When did Marc Benioff marry Lynne Benioff?
Lynne and Marc Benioff are widely reported to have married in 2006. The couple has largely kept wedding details out of the public conversation, which is why you’ll see fewer confirmed specifics than you might expect for a high-profile tech leader.
In practical terms, what matters most is the timeline that followed: their marriage became a long-running partnership that blends family, philanthropy, and civic work—without turning every detail into public content.
Family life: children and a deliberately private home world
Marc Benioff’s personal-life profiles consistently note that he and Lynne have two children. The Benioffs are also known for maintaining strong privacy boundaries around their kids. You’ll find very few official family details compared to other prominent couples, and that appears intentional.
In recent years, public reporting has also described the Benioffs as spending significant time in Hawaii, alongside their longstanding ties to San Francisco. This shift has fueled even more interest, because people naturally ask: Are they relocating? Are they building a new philanthropic “home base”? The Benioffs have not treated those questions like entertainment, but their public giving in Hawaii has made the connection impossible to ignore.
What Lynne Benioff does: influence through boards, civic roles, and long-term giving
Many people assume the spouse of a tech billionaire is either fully hidden or fully “public.” Lynne Benioff has carved out a third lane: she’s visible where the work is visible—boards, institutions, major gifts—and quieter everywhere else.
One of the clearest examples is her federal civic role with the Presidio Trust. Lynne Benioff was appointed to the Presidio Trust board in 2015, an appointment publicly announced by the Presidio itself. Over time, she has held leadership roles connected to the Trust’s governance and fundraising efforts.
She is also commonly described in executive and institutional bios as being involved with organizations connected to children’s health, education, and civic initiatives—often in capacities that require real oversight, not ceremonial participation.
Their signature philanthropic focus: children’s healthcare
If you want to understand the “Benioff” name you see on hospitals, this is the heart of the story. Marc and Lynne Benioff have made children’s healthcare a flagship cause, and it’s not subtle: their Giving Pledge letter explicitly highlights major support for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.
The couple’s giving has shown a pattern that repeats across different projects:
- Large, concentrated gifts rather than scattered symbolic donations
- Institutional partnerships with established medical systems
- Infrastructure and access (expansion, modernization, improved care delivery) instead of one-time campaigns
This approach tends to create lasting impact, but it also comes with real scrutiny. Big gifts change institutions, and people naturally ask who sets priorities, who decides where money goes, and what influence follows. The Benioffs have generally framed their approach as community-driven, locally informed, and aimed at improving access for patients.
Recent headline giving: major healthcare investment in Hawaii
In March 2024, Marc and Lynne Benioff made headlines for a $150 million donation to support healthcare in Hawaii through multiple entities, including Hilo Medical Center and Hawaii Pacific Health, with collaboration involving UCSF Health expertise. Local reporting described this as one of the largest private philanthropic gifts in Hawaii’s history, with plans tied to expanded facilities and specialized care access.
This matters in a “Marc Benioff wife” article because it shows Lynne’s role as a co-signing philanthropic partner, not a silent bystander. These gifts are repeatedly framed as joint commitments, and their language emphasizes community and care access—especially for local residents.
Environmental philanthropy: the Benioff Ocean Initiative and ocean science work
The Benioffs’ giving isn’t limited to healthcare. Another major pillar is the environment—especially ocean health. At UC Santa Barbara, the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory describes its origins as being founded through a 2016 gift from Lynne and Marc Benioff, originally under the name “Benioff Ocean Initiative.”
Ocean philanthropy can sound abstract until you see how it becomes practical: research infrastructure, technology that reduces harm to marine life, and scientific programs that translate data into real-world protections. Their support for ocean science has also been publicly documented through university announcements and Salesforce-related philanthropy coverage.
Media ownership: TIME and the Benioffs as owners
Another reason Lynne Benioff is frequently mentioned in national coverage is TIME. Marc and Lynne Benioff are publicly known as the owners of TIME, and TIME’s leadership announcements have referenced them as owners. This is a very different kind of influence than philanthropy: it’s cultural and informational, tied to journalism, events, and public conversation.
For readers, this raises a natural question: how does a couple known for tech and philanthropy end up owning a legacy magazine? The most straightforward answer is that it fits their broader pattern—institutions matter, and they invest in institutions.
The Giving Pledge: a public commitment to give away most wealth
Marc and Lynne Benioff signed the Giving Pledge in 2016. In their pledge letter, they describe a focus on children’s healthcare and education and outline how their giving aligns with those priorities.
This pledge is often misunderstood as a “one-time donation promise,” but it’s more accurately a public statement of intent: to dedicate the majority of wealth to philanthropic purposes, either during life or through an estate. For the Benioffs, the pledge reads like a continuation of what they were already doing—scaling it up and making it explicit.
What makes Lynne Benioff different from a typical “billionaire spouse” profile
Many high-net-worth couples follow one of two public patterns: either the spouse is nearly invisible, or the spouse becomes an influencer-style public figure. Lynne Benioff doesn’t fit neatly into either category.
Instead, her public presence tends to show up in three places:
- Institutional leadership (boards and civic roles)
- Philanthropic strategy (large, mission-focused gifts)
- Public-facing stewardship (being named as an owner/partner in institutions like TIME)
That combination signals something important: her role is not decorative. She appears consistently where decisions are made and where commitments are formal.
Net worth context: why the giving draws attention
It’s difficult to discuss the Benioffs’ philanthropy without acknowledging scale. Marc Benioff’s net worth has been estimated in the billions by major business outlets, which is part of why their giving is so visible. When gifts reach nine figures, they aren’t just generous—they are infrastructure-level investments that can reshape hospitals, research programs, and civic projects for decades.
FAQ about Marc Benioff’s wife
What is Marc Benioff’s wife’s name?
Marc Benioff’s wife is Lynne Benioff, often referenced as Lynne Krilich Benioff.
Do Marc and Lynne Benioff have children?
Yes. Public profiles state they have two children.
What causes do Lynne and Marc Benioff support?
Their most visible philanthropic priorities include children’s healthcare, education, and environmental/ocean health, with major institutional partners such as UCSF and UC Santa Barbara.
Is Lynne Benioff involved in civic leadership?
Yes. Lynne Benioff has served on the Presidio Trust board, a federal entity responsible for stewardship of the Presidio in San Francisco.
Bottom line
The simplest answer to “Marc Benioff wife” is Lynne Benioff. The fuller answer is that she’s a philanthropic and civic force with a long track record of institution-level work—children’s hospitals, ocean science, community-focused healthcare initiatives, and board leadership—while still keeping her family life intentionally private.
In a world where visibility is often treated like power, Lynne Benioff’s story suggests a different truth: consistent, behind-the-scenes stewardship can be just as influential, and sometimes more enduring.
image sourtce: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/15/marc-benioff-salesforce-would-not-exist-today-without-steve-jobs.html
