7 Philanthropic Billionaires Who Contribute To Science

By siliconindia | Tuesday, 13 January 2015, 06:14 Hrs

# Eric Schmidt

Eric Schmidt is an American software engineer, businessman, and the executive chairman of Google. The Schmidt Family Foundation was established in 2006 by Wendy Schmidt and Eric Schmidt that included ReMain Nantucket and the Marine Science and Technology Foundation to address issues of sustainability and the responsible use of natural resources.

The Foundation is the main funder of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, supporting the acquisition and operation of its research vessels. In 2009, Eric and Wendy Schmidt endowed the Schmidt Transformative Technology Fund at Princeton University with $25 million.

The Fund’s purpose is to support cutting edge research and technology in the natural sciences and engineering, encouraging collaboration across disciplines. It awarded $1.2 million in grants in 2010 and $1.7 million in grants in 2012.

# Elon Musk

Elon Musk is the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, Tesla Motors, chairman of Solar City and a cofounder of PayPal.

Musk is chairman of the Musk Foundation, which focuses its philanthropic efforts on science education, paediatric health, and clean energy. In 2010, the foundation created a program focused on donating solar-power systems for critical needs in disaster areas.

In a 2011 visit to Soma City in Fukushima, Japan, which had been devastated by tsunami, Musk donated a solar power project valued at $250,000 to the city.

Elon Musk agreed to donate $1 million toward the construction of a museum on the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe property.