Stanford President’s Corporate Connections Raise Money, Concerns

John L. Hennessy makes $616,000 each year as president of Stanford University but has earned $43-million since 2000 from outside activities, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Some observers in the academic world are critical of the close connections between Silicon Valley companies and the university, the newspaper reports. Mr. Hennessy sits on the boards of Google, CiscoSystems, and Atheros Communications, which he co-founded. He receives money and stock options for his board service.

Critics have raised concerns about how the university’s endowment investments in venture funds may be perceived—especially when they overlap with companies that are connected with Mr. Hennessy.

Stanford’s Board of Trustees has expressed confidence in Mr. Hennessy’s leadership and fund raising, and says that the university has put safeguards in place to prevent any conflicts of interest. Burton J. McMurtry, chairman of the board of trustees, says Mr. Hennessy is “a strongly committed academic.”

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