All articles tagged with #philanthropy
Adam Wexler, a 2007 UGA graduate and founder of PrizePicks, committed $10 million to the University of Georgia Athletic Association to support the Georgia men’s basketball program, funding personnel and operating expenses with a portion directed to the Athletic Director Excellence Fund—the largest philanthropic gift in UGA Athletics history and a major anchor for the program’s future.
Sutter Health and Santa Clara University announced the Mark & Mary Stevens School of Medicine, the Bay Area's first new medical school in over a century, funded by a $175 million gift from Mary Stevens and Mark Stevens. The school will be embedded within Sutter Health's integrated health system, combining education, research, and patient care, and will leverage Santa Clara University's AI and ethics initiatives; the inaugural class will follow a multi-year accreditation process, and construction is underway for a new 272-bed, eight-story medical center by 2031.
Trump Accounts, a federal child-savings program seeded with $1,000 per eligible child and run by the Treasury with custodians BNY Mellon and Robinhood, could soon allow donated shares from billionaires (like Tesla or Nvidia stock), potentially expanding investment beyond cash into company stock. The rollout begins July 5, 2026, with millions enrolled, various ways to open an account, and complex tax and withdrawal rules that vary by whether funds come from individuals, employers, or philanthropies.
Ted Turner, a brash American media mogul who launched CNN in 1980 and transformed news with 24-hour programming, died at 87. He built a global media empire, owned the Atlanta Braves, accumulated millions of acres of land, and donated billions to United Nations charities, while also courting controversy with his outspoken persona. Turner’s legacy includes reshaping how audiences consume news, expanding cable networks, and funding humanitarian causes, though he later faced health issues and saw CNN evolve in a changing media landscape.
Ted Turner, founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting, died at 87 after turning a struggling Atlanta station into a global media empire that included CNN, TBS, TNT, and Turner Classic Movies; he owned the Atlanta Braves and Hawks, supported the Goodwill Games and conservation efforts, and later faced Lewy body dementia.
Ted Turner, the founder of CNN who popularized 24-hour news and built a vast media empire (TBS, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, sports teams) before turning to philanthropy, died at 87 after a Lewy body dementia diagnosis; his push for nonstop live coverage reshaped news consumption and global media, and his $1 billion pledge to the United Nations Foundation left a lasting philanthropic legacy.
Ted Turner, the Georgia-born media mogul who launched CNN in 1980 and built a sprawling cable empire, died at 87 after a career that transformed real-time, around-the-clock news. He expanded from channels and sports franchises to CNN International and non-news networks, sold his empire to Time Warner, and became a major philanthropist with the United Nations Foundation and conservation efforts, while also weathering personal upheavals including a high-profile marriage to Jane Fonda and the AOL-Time Warner merger fallout.
Ted Turner, the entrepreneur who launched CNN as the world's first 24-hour news channel and built a sprawling media empire including WTBS, TNT, TCM and Cartoon Network, died at 87. A philanthropist who funded the United Nations Foundation and conservation efforts, his life also featured high-profile romance with Jane Fonda and a turbulent AOL-Time Warner merger.
USC trustee Mark Stevens and his wife Mary pledged $200 million to accelerate AI research across USC, prompting the renaming of the USC School of Advanced Computing to the USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence. The gift funds interdisciplinary AI initiatives—such as AI for Business, Ethics and Trust in Computing, and the Center for AI in Society—bolstering USC’s goal to become a national and global hub for AI research, education, and innovation.
The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub announced a five-year, $500 million plan to build AI-based models of human cells, aiming to map cell interactions from molecular to organism levels to accelerate cures and disease prevention, with about $400 million for internal AI development and the rest for external researchers. The piece also notes Meta’s unusually low 2025 federal tax rate despite record profits, highlighting questions about funding priorities in tech philanthropy.
Doris Fisher, cofounder of Gap Inc. and the namesake behind the brand, died at 94. With her husband Donald Fisher, she built Gap from a San Francisco store into a global retailer and helped shape the company’s philanthropic and cultural footprint, including art donations to SFMoMA and initiatives like the Doris Fisher Creators Program with FIT.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez will be honorary chairs for the Met Gala 2026, fueling controversy over billionaire influence in fashion funding and prestige, as the event ties to the Costume Institute's Costume Art exhibit focused on marginalized bodies and the evolving role of fashion in museums.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez headline the Met Gala as sponsors and honorary chairs amid a global debate over billionaire wealth and workers’ rights. The gala remains the Met’s landmark fundraiser for the Costume Institute, with sky‑high ticket prices and new exhibitions, while critics point to Amazon labor issues and widening inequality. Protests and a Ball Without Billionaires will accompany the event, highlighting tensions between philanthropy and labor activism as fashion’s premier charity event presses on.
The fifth King’s Trust Global Gala celebrated the charity’s 50th anniversary with a star-studded guest list, highlighting the organization’s mission to empower youth through education, employment, and entrepreneurship programs worldwide.
The Gates Foundation has commissioned an external review to examine past engagement with Jeffrey Epstein and its vetting of philanthropic partnerships; staff were informed in March, with results due this summer, as Epstein-related documents show meetings between Gates and Epstein after the 2008 conviction. The foundation also announced planned layoffs of about 500 employees as part of cost-cutting.