$400-Million in Big Gifts Go to Cornell U. Medical School

Sanford I. Weill, chairman emeritus of Citigroup, and his wife, Joan, today announced that they are providing $250-million to Cornell University’s medical school in New York City. In addition, they are awarding Cornell University, in Ithaca, N.Y., $50-million to finance research on genomics and other life sciences.

Mr. Weill and his wife have previously given $215-million to the school, which in 1998 changed its name to the Weill Medical College in honor of their gifts.

Mr. Weill’s big gift is not a surprise: He told The Chronicle in October that he plans to give away most of his fortune before he dies. Mr. Weill is worth at least $1.5-billion according to Forbes magazine

Mr. Weill has long been one of America’s biggest donors. He has appeared on The Chronicle’s annual list of the most-generous contributors five times.

The institution said that in addition to Mr. Weill, several other donors had made $150-million in contributions to the medical school, which announced in October that it was seeking $1.3-billion in a capital campaign. It said that with the gifts announced today that it had raised $650-million toward its goal.

Cornell announced on Wednesday that several other big gifts had been made to its campaign:

$100-million was provided by donors who wish their names to remain anonymous. Maurice and Corinne Greenberg, who donated $25-million, also donated $25-million from the Starr Foundation, their family fund. Mr. Greenberg is chief executive of C.V. Starr & Company, an investment firm, and former chairman of the American International Group.