I don't think one donates money to Harvard just for the sake of a plaque.
I guess there is some sort of indirect benefit to be had after such a donation, like an entry pass for a child, an entry pass for a PhD, or something of that vein?
I guess there is some sort of indirect benefit to be had after such a donation, like an entry pass for a child, an entry pass for a PhD, or something of that vein?
These billionaires want fame and to be the focus of discussions like this one. They know people will be in awe over such a huge sum of money. That’s what $300M buys you and is so much more interesting than buying a product: attention and fame.
Countless rich guys have become persona non grata in the communities where they bought and mishandled the local club.
There's a few Chelsea or Leicester type stories where the buyer really is loved, a few where fans grudgingly accept they've done well but they'd rather not talk about where the (oil) money came from, and then quite a few where the new owners are reviled.
He also has a history of mega donations to universities in exchange for department renaming, like his $150m donation to UChicago which renamed their economics department after him (the most prestigious part of the university)
If I was one of the kids, I would have taken $100m directly.
Once you have so much money an Ivy League education is not important. you can buy your way into anything.
You could get that for a million probably. He donated it because he's a vain billionaire who wants the world to remember him despite not achieving anything memorable.