“The actually placing factor about Musk is the disjuncture between his outsized public persona, and his very, very minimal philanthropic presence,” stated Benjamin Soskis, who research philanthropy on the City Institute. The place different billionaires have aimed for a broad impression on society, Mr. Soskis stated Mr. Musk’s basis lacks “any course or any actual focus, exterior his enterprise ventures.”
Mr. Musk didn’t reply to requests for remark.
A college for his kids
Mr. Musk and his youthful brother, Kimbal, began the Musk Basis in 2001, a yr earlier than the sale of PayPal, the web funds firm he co-founded, to eBay for $1.5 billion. He made greater than $175 million within the sale, and would seed his namesake basis with about $2 million price of eBay shares.
The Musk Basis’s web site initially included slick animations, that includes footage of satellite tv for pc dishes and kids in school rooms, whereas encouraging individuals to use for grants. By 2005, nevertheless, it was cleaned, changed by plain black textual content stating that the inspiration was fascinated with “science training, pediatric well being and clear power.”
It listed no contact info. It nonetheless doesn’t.
By September 2014, Forbes estimated that Mr. Musk’s internet price was greater than $10 billion, pushed up by the worth of his holdings of Tesla inventory. However he gave little to his personal charity. That yr, tax filings present, his basis had $40,121 within the financial institution.
That match with Mr. Musk’s public stance on philanthropy. His for-profit corporations, he stated, had been his means of adjusting the world.