Yale SOM Announces Largest Alumni Gift to Date
Published: January 4, 2010

Lei Zhang MBA '02, GRD '02
New Haven, Conn. — Yale President Richard C. Levin PhD '74 announced on January 4, 2010, that Lei Zhang MBA '02, GRD '02 has pledged the largest gift ever to the Yale School of Management by a graduate of the school. Zhang's pledge, made less than 10 years after his graduation from Yale, also represents the largest gift to date from a young Yale University alumnus. Zhang, the founder and managing partner of Hillhouse Capital Management, will give $8,888,888 primarily to help build Yale SOM’s new campus. A portion of the gift will provide scholarship support for Chinese students in the International Relations Program at Yale's new Jackson Institute of Global Affairs. Other funds will be used to support a variety of China-related activities at the university, such as work undertaken in cooperation with China’s Ministry of Education to train Chinese university presidents.

The announcement came at a special event co-hosted by Levin and Yale School of Management Dean Sharon M. Oster at the Westin Beijing Chaoyang, which included a panel discussion between several prominent SOM alumni called "Investing in the Middle Kingdom."

The panel discussion, moderated by Levin, included Lei Zhang, as well as Brad Huang '90, founder and president, Lotus Capital Management; David Li '94, managing director, E.M. Warburg Pincus & Co.; Liang Meng '97, CEO Greater China Private Equity, D.E. Shaw & Co. Ltd; and Kevin Zhang '94, managing partner, Trustbridge Partners Ltd.

In announcing the gift, President Levin commented, "This truly extraordinary and auspicious gift reflects the deep commitment to Yale that Lei Zhang shares with so many fellow graduates of the School of Management. Lei’s generosity also represents a significant step toward the realization of SOM’s new campus."

Dean Oster added, "I’m delighted to be here in Beijing with so many of our former students, including Lei. His devotion to SOM is remarkable, and the entire SOM community joins me in thanking him for his wonderful support. We look forward to the construction of the auditorium in the new campus that will bear Lei Zhang’s name."

Zhang chose to make his gift $8,888,888 because of the significance of the number eight in Chinese culture. Throughout China, eight is considered lucky. The Chinese word for "eight" sounds similar to those for "wealth" and "fortune."

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