Duty-free billionaire Chuck Feeney gave Cornell $350 million in 2011; six years later, its New York tech campus opened

In 2011, billionaire Chuck Feeney donated $350 million through his philanthropic organisation, The Atlantic Philanthropies, to help Cornell University establish a technology and applied sciences campus in New York City. Six years later, the first phase of Cornell Tech opened on 12 acres of Roosevelt Island, bringing together researchers, students and technology companies in a project intended to strengthen the city’s position as a hub for innovation. According to the Cornell Chronicle, the landmark gift was a decisive factor in Cornell winning New York City’s competition to build the new campus. The donation was among the most significant contributions to Cornell and reflected Feeney’s approach to philanthropy: giving away his wealth during his lifetime rather than preserving it for future generations.The $350 million gift that helped shape Cornell TechThe gift was announced on December 16, 2011, initially without identifying the donor. Four days later, Cornell confirmed that the money came from The Atlantic Philanthropies and its founding chairman, Feeney, a Cornell alumnus who graduated in 1956. The grant was intended to support a joint proposal by Cornell and the Technion–Israel...