# Where are the billionaire philanthropists? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192 "2026-05-18T19:49:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192/81 "2026-10-01T18:27:31Z")
Several recent stories reminded me of this thread. Phil Knight of Nike gave the Oregon Health and Science University $1 billion to fund a new engineering college. Similarly, hedge fund executive Kenneth C. Griffin is giving $2 billion to Carnegie Mellon University to build a second campus in Miami as well as $1 billion to the original Pittsburgh campus. Michael Bloomberg ranked as the largest donor for the last three years, with over $4.3 billion given out last year. It remains true that the tech billionaires are libertarian assholes, but since most of the largest donors are older and over their acquisitive state maybe that might change. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192/82 "2026-10-02T13:14:53Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > since most of the largest donors are older and over their acquisitive state maybe that might change. .. into the buying a stairway to heaven state ! What, me cynical ? ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192/83 "2026-10-02T13:18:07Z")
This week, Ken Griffin donated $3 billion dollars to Carnegie Mellon University. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192/84 "2026-10-02T19:43:23Z")
And **furthermore** , I award the OP one Earworm Demerit for this thread title that I’m always hearing to the tune of [Lerner and Loewe’s “Where Are the Simple Joys of Maidenhood” from _Camelot_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pDVaLGVoh0). 🎵 🎶 😡 🤣 _Where are the billionaire philanthropists? Are they all just old stony-hearted schists? Shall they ne’er write a check for us while making life a wreck for us? Is there no noble conscience that insists?.._ ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192/85 "2026-10-02T23:01:58Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Similarly, hedge fund executive Kenneth C. Griffin is giving $2 billion to Carnegie Mellon University to build a second campus in Miami as well as $1 billion to the original Pittsburgh campus. I never liked Griffin’s politics, especially as an Illinoisan, but your post made me reread his Wikipedia article. The Philanthropy section is pretty impressive; lots of donations and to a variety of causes. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192/86 "2026-10-02T23:37:29Z")
To return to the original question, of course some billionaires support worthy causes, such as Bill and Melinda Gates, or Mckenzie Scott. Silicon Valley was purportedly sold on the idea of “Effective Altruism”, where getting rich is justified because it allows you to give money away. Once philantrophy was for supporting libraries or NPR. In the age of superPACs and dark money, “philantrophy” might mean funding a think tank that supports your philosophy or buying influence in a government keen to accept this. Surely the Koch family, Las Vegas bigwigs and many give to causes they personally embrace like odd health beliefs, Long Now, libertarian or certain political movements. These are not quite the same as libraries…. but probably many university departments and hospital wings have benefited from some generosity. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192/87 "2026-10-03T00:28:52Z")
In 2024, a billion dollar donation made tuition at the Albert Einstein college of medicine free “in perpetuity”. > [@](#): > > Students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine will no longer have to pay tuition after the school received a $1 billion donor gift. > > Ruth Gottesman, who is chairperson of the college’s board of trustees, made the donation using money left to her by her late husband, financier David Gottesman, who was a friend of Warren Buffett and whose company, First Manhattan Co., was an early investor in Berkshire Hathaway, according to Forbes. > > Students in their fourth year at Einstein, located in the Bronx in New York City, will be reimbursed for the spring 2024 semester, and beginning in August, tuition will be free “in perpetuity,” the school said Monday. [https://www.npr.org/2024/02/27/1234107300/free-tuition-albert-einstein-college-medicine](https://www.npr.org/2024/02/27/1234107300/free-tuition-albert-einstein-college-medicine) (Of course there’s a connection with Warren Buffett) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-the-billionaire-philanthropists/1030192.md?page=4)