INSEAD receives a €60 million gift from an alumnus

INSEAD, The Business School for the World, today announced that it has received a €60 million gift from an alumnus who wishes to remain anonymous. This is the largest gift INSEAD has received from an individual donor in its 60-year history.

The funds have been designated to grow the school’s endowment, finance research and fund other long-term strategic investments. The donor has pledged €40 million to the INSEAD endowment to drive innovation and excellence in research, and €20 million to enable strategic investments that solidify the school’s independence.

“I believe in the mission and direction of the school and have great confidence in its leadership,” the donor said. “INSEAD changed the course of my life and career. It is gratifying to strengthen the core of the school through the quality of its research. With this gift, I entrust INSEAD to continue to have a positive and lasting impact on many lives and businesses worldwide.”

The gift, which comes to INSEAD on its 60th anniversary, ensures the school’s position as a leading business school — globally. It grows the endowment, which serves as a stable source of funding; strengthens INSEAD’s independence as an institution; and advances research, which supports academic excellence, attracts top faculty and fortifies the school’s core strengths. Taken together, these investments increase INSEAD’s relevance and impact.

“We are deeply grateful for this transformational gift from an exceptional alumnus,” said Andreas Jacobs MBA’90D, Chairman of the INSEAD Board. “It is an important signal of trust in INSEAD’s leadership and provides the school with assurance at an opportune time. We thank our alumnus for leading by example and investing in the school and its future.”

The gift comes at a time when INSEAD’s research reputation is at an all-time high. In the past three years, INSEAD has ranked among the top-six schools globally in the UTD Top 100 Business School Research Rankings. It has also consistently ranked among the top-two schools globally for research in general management.

Because the gift allows INSEAD to use the funds for research at its discretion, it will provide broad support to INSEAD faculty across all levels and academic disciplines. This will ground and anchor the school, building its resiliency and ensuring its future success.

“I am humbled by this outstanding act of generosity and trust in the future of the school,” said Ilian Mihov, Dean of INSEAD. “During this period of tremendous uncertainty, this gift strengthens our intellectual foundations and upholds our identity as a global leader in research. The world is facing unprecedented challenges. This is the time to accelerate our investment in research as we pursue new ideas, new solutions and new business models.