A Financier Pledges $150-Millionto Mount Sinai School of Medicine
By Caroline Bermudez
Contributor
December 2, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute
How much: $150-million pledge
Who got it: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York
Who gave it: The financier Carl Icahn
Connection to the organization: Mr. Icahn has been a trustee since 2000 and previously gave $50-million to Mount Sinai.
Where the money will go: Mr. Icahn earmarked the gift to support medical research at Mount Sinai and its senior scientists. The school will be renamed for Mr. Icahn.
How the gift came about: Kenneth Davis, Mount Sinai’s chief executive, approached Mr. Icahn nine years ago. Mr. Icahn had been on the committee that hired Mr. Davis and they became friends, meeting for dinner a few times a year. As the institution kicked off a $1-billion campaign, Mr. Davis discussed its research projects, which excited Mr. Icahn, who attended New York University’s medical school for two years.
Why he gives: Mr. Icahn say he worries about income disparities and wants to support institutions that provide services to the poor, as Mount Sinai does.
