John Paulson gives $250 million to Hebrew University for engineering, medicine and trauma

Investor and philanthropist John Paulson has pledged $250 million to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the largest donation the university has ever received. He announced the gift on the evening of 17 October 2026 at the university's Board of Governors gala. In recognition, the historic Mount Scopus campus, where the university's cornerstone was laid in 1918, will be renamed the Alina and John Paulson Campus.

The money is aimed at four priorities. The first is a new Faculty of Engineering, designed to bring engineering and computer science into closer partnership with medicine and the life sciences. The second is an expansion of the university's medical and biomedical work, including a new model of medical education meant to train more doctors without lowering standards. The third is research on trauma and recovery from trauma, and the fourth is a think tank that will connect academic research with practical public needs in Israel and beyond.

The gift builds on earlier support from the Paulson Family Foundation, which had already given $46 million for engineering and computer science buildings on the Edmond J. Safra Campus in Givat Ram, including a new electrical engineering building funded in January. With this pledge, Paulson's total support for the university comes to $296 million. Founded in 1925 with Albert Einstein among its creators, Hebrew University counts more than 10,750 registered patents and ranked 89th in the world in the 2026 Shanghai Ranking.

In his statement Paulson praised the university's research output and its relatively low cost compared with similar American institutions, and said the gift would ensure Hebrew University can meet the high demand for advanced education well into the future. He also described it as a show of support for Israel at a difficult time. University president Prof. Tamir Sheafer said the funds will be used to recruit faculty, support students and equip laboratories.