All articles tagged with #philanthropy
Anna Murdoch-Mann, writer and former News Corp director, has died at 81 in Palm Beach, Florida. Born Anna Torv in Glasgow, she was Rupert Murdoch’s wife for 31 years, mother to Elisabeth, James and Lachlan, and a philanthropist who served on hospital boards; she wrote several novels, including Family Business, and was made a Dame of the Order of St Gregory in 1998.
Billionaire Les Wexner is set to testify to a U.S. House panel about his decades-long ties to Jeffrey Epstein, insisting he cut ties in 2007 and denying any wrongdoing, even as newly unredacted federal files reference him as a “co-conspirator.” The controversy underscores Wexner’s vast Central Ohio influence—from New Albany development and major OSU donations to leadership roles in local nonprofits—while institutions weigh responses to donors amid ongoing investigations, including a separate OSU sexual-abuse lawsuit.
Paul Allen’s estate has begun selling the Seattle Seahawks, appointing Allen & Company and Latham & Watkins to lead the sale. The deal is expected to approach $10 billion and must be approved by NFL owners; proceeds will be donated to charity per Allen’s wishes, with sister Jody Allen maintaining control.
Elite universities welcomed Jeffrey Epstein’s money to fund labs and budgets, even as questions about his motives and ethics lingered; after Epstein’s 2008 conviction and 2019 death, schools faced reputational fallout, with some donors and campuses distancing themselves and debates intensifying about how private gifts shape academia. The piece underscores how reliance on philanthropy—often accepted at lower administrative levels—can expose institutions to tainted-money risks and prompts calls for stronger donor screening and governance.
MacKenzie Scott donated $59 million to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on Jan. 30, continuing a sustained philanthropy that also included a $45 million gift to The Trevor Project earlier in January. The piece notes she gave $7.1 billion to nonprofits in 2025 and that, after her divorce, her net worth is about $32.5 billion, while Jeff Bezos’s is around $230.2 billion. The article also references a legal dispute involving Lauren Sánchez’s brother.
New documents show Bard College president Leon Botstein’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein went beyond fundraising, including a 2013 email saying 'Miss you', a 2017-era watch purchase, and a planned 2012 trip to Epstein’s island; Botstein says these interactions were about securing long-term funding for Bard, not personal gain, but the disclosures raise questions about donor influence and ethics in small liberal arts colleges.
Bobby Wagner, a 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro, was named the 2026 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his on-field leadership and extensive off-field work, including the FAST54 Fund for stroke patients, social-justice advocacy, and youth tech outreach; the Seahawks veteran—also with the Rams and Commanders—launched FAST54 after his mother’s death, and the award includes up to $250,000 to his charity plus up to $40,000 to each club nominee’s charity; he is the first Washington player to win the honor since Darrell Green in 1996.
DAFgiving360 reports a record $9.9 billion granted via donor-advised funds in 2025, up 28% from 2024, driven by strong market returns and expiring tax benefits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. About 74% of contributions were non-cash assets, as donors use DAFs to secure upfront tax deductions while they time grants to charities. New tax rules cut top-bracket benefits and cap itemized deductions, potentially slowing future giving and nudging donors away from direct 'checkbook philanthropy'.
Shirley Raines, known as 'Ms Shirley' to her millions of TikTok followers and founder of Beauty 2 The Streetz, has died at 58 after years of helping people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles and Nevada, distributing meals, hygiene items, haircuts, and dignity; she credited her work with personal loss and trauma and used her platform to amplify marginalized voices. She was celebrated as CNN's 2021 Hero of the Year and NAACP Image Award winner in 2025, and her organization and friends mourn her passing while vowing to continue her mission.
Shirley Raines, known as 'Ms. Shirley' to her 5+ million TikTok followers, used Beauty 2 The Streetz to bring meals, haircuts, hygiene supplies and dignity to people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row and other California and Nevada communities; she died at 58, with her organization saying more details would be shared as they become available.
Rapper Nicki Minaj pledges between $150,000 and $300,000 to fund her fans’ Trump accounts as she attends a White House summit promoting Trump accounts, a child-focused, tax-advantaged savings program that starts with a $1,000 seed deposit for eligible children born 2025–2028. A growing list of companies will match the federal contribution, and other philanthropists are contributing as part of a broader push; about 600,000 families have already signed up.
David A. Duffield, a Cornell alumnus and founder of PeopleSoft and Workday, is donating more than $520 million to Cornell, including a new $371.5 million pledge and a $100 million 2025 commitment, to establish the Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering. The historic gift—the largest in Cornell history—will fund a $250 million Duffield Legacy Fund and a $50 million priorities fund, with the remainder supporting the Duffield Launch Fund to upgrade infrastructure and advance research in areas like quantum engineering, artificial intelligence, and health as part of the university’s final campaign, “To Do the Greatest Good.” It also includes plans to expand Duffield Hall, cementing Duffield’s name for generations and continuing his broader support of Cornell programs.
From 2016 to today, the world’s 10 richest have exploded from a combined roughly $559B to about $2.6T, led by Elon Musk at around $682B. Sergey Brin and Larry Page follow, Bezos sits at about $260B, with Ellison, Zuckerberg, Arnault, Ballmer, Huang, and Buffett rounding out the current top 10. The shift is driven by surging tech fortunes, while Gates and Buffett have fallen thanks to philanthropy, giving away tens of billions; older names like Ortega, Slim, and the Kochs have dropped in rank as tech wealth surged. Tesla is valued around $1.5T, SpaceX about $800B, and xAI roughly $230B, underscoring a tech-driven leap in wealth.
An Austin couple, Tench and Simone Coxe, donated $100 million to UT Austin’s planned academic medical center—one of the university’s largest gifts—funding a hospital for complex conditions and a site for MD Anderson Cancer Center. The unrestricted gift will support the project regardless of whether it sits downtown or near The Domain, with completion targeted for 2030. The donors were inspired by a friend’s cancer-care journey and endorsed Claudia Lucchinetti’s leadership for UT Medical Center and Dell Medical School.
MacKenzie Scott donated $45 million to The Trevor Project, the largest single donation in the organization's 27-year history, to strengthen its crisis-services and long-term sustainability for LGBTQ+ youth facing elevated mental-health challenges amid political hostility; the gift follows previous large gifts and underscores Scott's ramped-up philanthropy.