Two thoroughbreds of American philanthropy have been in a neck-and-neck race for the crown for most generous donor to higher education.
On Tuesday, Nike co-founder Phil Knight took the lead by a nose.
Phil and Penny Knight’s $500 million gift to the University of Oregon vaults them to the top of the list as the biggest donors to higher education, pushing Michael Bloomberg down a notch to number two, according to data compiled by The Chronicle.
Mr. Knight’s publicly announced donations to universities add up to more than $1.8 billion, including the latest gift, announced Tuesday. Mr. Bloomberg, whose namesake company provides news and financial data, has given nearly $1.7 billion to universities, according to The Chronicle’s tally.
Most of Mr. Bloomberg’s university donations, at least those he has announced publicly, have gone to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins. Officials there have said the former New York mayor has given more than $1.5 billion since he graduated in 1964.
Mr. Knight, meanwhile, has given $600 million to the University of Oregon, where he graduated in 1959, and $505 million to Stanford, where he earned a master’s degree.
But he’s contributed even more to a college he never attended: Oregon Health & Science University, where he has given $725 million since 2008.
Still, for both men, those gifts represent a tiny portion of their total net worth. Forbes magazine pegs Mr. Knight’s at $24 billion and Mr. Bloomberg’s at $43 billion.
Both men have vowed to give most of their fortunes to charity.
Top 2 Donors to Higher Education
Michael Bloomberg
| Year | Amount Given | Recipient | Purpose |
| 1964 - 2016 | $1.5 billion | Johns Hopkins U. | Multiple donations for the,Bloomberg American Health Initiative, an immunotherapy center, fellowships, professorships, financial aid, research, and other programs |
| 2004 | $36 million | Princeton U. | For a dormitory |
| 2015 | $100 million | Cornell U. | For Cornell Tech |
| 2016 | $32 million | Harvard U. | To train urban leaders |
| Total: | $1.668 billion | | |
Phil Knight
| Year | Amount Given | Recipient | Purpose |
| 2006 | $105 million | Stanford U. Graduate School of Business | For the Knight Management Center |
| 2007 | $100 million | U. of Oregon | To establish the Oregon Athletics Legacy Fund |
| 2008 | $100 million | Oregon Health & Science U. | For the Knight Cancer Institute |
| 2009 | $5 million | Willamette U. College of Law | For a professorship |
| 2012 | $125 million | Oregon Health & Science U. | To establish an institute for cardiovascular research and care |
| 2013 | $500 million | Oregon Health & Science U. | For cancer research |
| 2016 | $400 million | Stanford U. | To establish the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program |
| 2016 | $500 million | U. of Oregon | To establish the Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact |
| Total: | $1.835 billion | | |
Source: Chronicle data
Note: This chart has been corrected to say that Michael Bloomberg gave $36 million to Princeton for a dormitory.
