Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky has committed $100 million to San Francisco's public parks — the largest contribution the city has ever received from a single donor, according to Mayor Daniel Lurie.

Chesky announced the pledge on Monday in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. The co-founder of the $100 billion short-term rental company will release the funds in two phases, and the split tells you where the city's priorities sit.

Where does the first $39 million go?

The initial tranche will finish five park projects across the Mission, Potrero Hill, downtown, South of Market, and Bayview-Hunters Point. For residents of those neighborhoods, the money converts stalled or incomplete works into finished public space. The neighborhoods named stretch from some of the city's wealthiest blocks to some of its poorest — a deliberate geographic spread rather than a single flagship project.

The Chronicle reported that decisions on how to spend the remaining $61 million will be made over the next year. That structure gives the city time to allocate the bulk of the gift rather than committing it all at announcement.

What does the gift signal about City Hall's funding model?

The donation arrives as Lurie accelerates his effort to supplement city budgets with private-sector money. Before becoming mayor, he ran a major Bay Area charity and leaned on business leaders to fund its initiatives, the Chronicle reported. He has carried that playbook into office, calling on local companies such as Airbnb to deepen their involvement while San Francisco grapples with an affordability crisis.

For executives watching from other Bay Area headquarters, the message is that City Hall now treats large private gifts as a working funding channel, not an occasional windfall. Lurie made the ask explicit.

"To every leader who sees what Brian has done today: Our city is coming back, and you also have an opportunity not to watch from the sidelines but to be part of it," Lurie said.

What changes for families who use the parks?

Lurie framed the gift around access rather than aesthetics. "San Francisco has nature, parks, beaches, and views that you can't find anywhere else, with affordable recreation programs where a kid discovers a love of baseball, a teenager finds mentorship, and a working parent knows their children are safe after school," he said in a statement to Inc.

"Access to these opportunities shouldn't depend on what neighborhood you live in or how much money your family makes," he added.

With Chesky's money, the city plans to expand recreation access to more neighborhoods and improve the parks families use daily — meaning upgraded routine facilities, not just marquee destinations. If the first five projects deliver, the model gives Lurie a visible proof point when he approaches other donors for the remaining $61 million and beyond.

How big is this in context?

The gift equals roughly one-thousandth of Airbnb's market value, but for a single municipal donor commitment it sets a record for San Francisco. Chesky built the company in the city, and the pledge ties his personal fortune directly back into its public infrastructure at a moment when the downtown recovery remains fragile and the affordability crisis persists.

The next test comes over the following year, when the city decides how to deploy the second $61 million — and whether Lurie can convert one record-setting check into a broader pattern of corporate giving.