In incredible international news, a widow who was left a fortune has decided to donate $1 billion dollars to fund medical students’ tuition! Full story:
New York City, USA (29 February 2024) — It’s not every day that a widow receives a billionaire’s fortune. But it’s even rarer to learn that she would make the decision to donate $1 billion (over 19 billion rand) to fund medical students’ tuition. Well, in a literal wealth of good news from New York City, this is exactly what happened thanks to Dr Ruth Gottesman.
Ruth Gottesman is the widow of David ‘Sandy’ Gottesman—a billionaire who made a big part of his fortune by investing in Bershire Hathaway Inc. It is believed that this saw him quietly reach a net worth of around $3 billion in his lifetime.
When David passed away, his wife of over seven decades was reportedly left with the stock David had and instructions.
“Do whatever you think is right with it,” the instructions said as per Forbes.
93-year-old Ruth got to thinking about what she could do and found the answer in her roots. Ruth is a former professor of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, based in New York City’s Bronx. Knowing the institution and its student’s challenges well; Ruth returned to her old professional stomping ground with a once-in-a-lifetime gift: a donation that would change the futures of students in a way that has never been seen before in the United States medical school history. Ruth decided to donate the $1 billion so that medical students would have their college tuition covered. Historically, tuition at the college will now be free; and no student will have to pay tuition costs in the future either! Not to mention, all spring tuition will be reimbursed, as the college shared.
“I am profoundly grateful to Dr. Gottesman for this historic and transformational gift. I believe we can change healthcare history when we recognize that access is the path to excellence. With this gift, Dr. Gottesman will fund excellence in perpetuity and secure our foundational mission of advancing human health,” said Philip O. Ozuah, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of Montefiore Einstein.
Dr Gottesman has only added to her legacy of impact with this gift. While she was working at Einstein’s Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Centre, she was a huge force in developing screening and help for children with learning problems. In the ’90s, she began the Adult Literacy Programme and continued her work in treating learning disabilities and, alongside David, created an institution for stem cell research.
Sources: Various (Linked Above)
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