Bono

The lead singer of Irish rock band U2, Bono was born Paul David Hewson in Ballymun, Dublin. He met the Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton at school, and in 1978 U2 was formed. Acknowledged as one of the best live acts in the world, U2 have sold over 157 million albums and won numerous awards, including 22 Grammys.

Bono is also a well-known activist in the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa. He is the cofounder of ONE, a global campaign and advocacy organization with more than 9 million members committed to taking action to end extreme poverty. As part of his work with ONE, Bono has lobbied heads of state and members of legislatures all around the world. This lobbying, combined with the work of ONE’s grassroots membership has helped to ensure the passage and funding of government policies and programs that have helped to save tens of millions of lives over the past 10 years.

Bono is also the cofounder of ONE’s sister organization (RED), which partners with the world’s most iconic brands to raise public awareness about and corporate contributions for the AIDS crisis. To date, (RED) has generated more than $465 million for AIDS treatment and prevention in Africa through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria

Bono has received a number of awards for his music and activism, including the Legion D’Honneur from the French Government in 2003, TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2005 (along with Bill and Melinda Gates), and an honorary British knighthood in 2007.