Michael Bloomberg gives record $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins for financial aid

[honest.abe]

I know this is old news but perhaps some may not have heard about it. To me this is a very big deal and it will help many many students attend one of the best universities in the world and is another example of Bloomberg trying to do the right thing with his wealth.

Philanthropist, business leader, and three-term New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will commit a record-breaking $1.8 billion to support undergraduate financial aid at Johns Hopkins, the university announced today, the largest-ever single contribution to a U.S. college or university.

"This historic gift reflects Mike Bloomberg's deep belief in the transformative power of higher education and his insistence that it be accessible to all qualified students, regardless of financial means," Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels wrote in a message to the university community today. "It also affirms Mike's profound devotion to this university for the role that it played in enriching his life."

Bloomberg, a 1964 Johns Hopkins graduate, announced his historic gift in a New York Times op-ed in which he identified college affordability as a national challenge.

"America is at its best when we reward people based on the quality of their work, not the size of their pocketbook," Bloomberg said. "Denying students entry to a college based on their ability to pay undermines equal opportunity. It perpetuates intergenerational poverty. And it strikes at the heart of the American dream: the idea that every person, from every community, has the chance to rise based on merit."

https://hub.jhu.edu/2018/11/18/michael-bloomberg-record-financial-aid-gift/

[rzemanfl]

1. K&R. n/t

[Devil Child]

2. Bill Gates has given away something like $50 billion

Should he be president?

I don’t see wealth and philanthropy as determiners for the presidency.

[honest.abe]

4. Philanthropy is not in of itself a qualifier to run for President of the United States..

but it sure doesn't hurt.

[Talitha]

8. "I don't see wealth and philanthropy as determiners for the presidency."

They're not determiners, but they beautifully illustrate the person's moral compass and character.

[George II]

3. That's only about half of it, he's given Johns Hopkins a total of about $3.5 billion.

[honest.abe]

5. I did not know that.

I am sure JHU and the students are benefiting greatly from his generosity.

[Nanjeanne]

6. Koch Brothers give/gave lots of money to

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

New York-Presbyterian Hospital

New York State Theater at Lincoln Center
New York City Ballet.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York

American Museum of Natural History, New York

Johns Hopkins University Cancer Research


Maybe Charles Koch can run as a Democrat next election.

[honest.abe]

7. I never said his record donation to JHU gave him justification for running for President.

But its certainly a positive gesture on his part and an indication that he is trying to do the right thing with his wealth.

[jcmaine72]

9. My dear old grandmother used to say...

...you can't buy your way into heaven. She used to say that whenever she'd read about some rich person with a morally reprehensible past suddenly giving tons of money away to some charity or other to either try and atone for past sins or give the appearance of caring.

While it may be true you that you can't buy your way into heaven (if you believe such a place exists), it appears that everywhere else is fair game, including a place of prominence within a major political party.