Malcolm Gladwell mercilessly mocks John Paulson’s obscene $400 million gift to Harvard

[applegrove]

Malcolm Gladwell mercilessly mocks John Paulson’s obscene $400 million gift to Harvard

by Dylan Matthews at Vox

http://www.vox.com/2015/6/3/8725331/malcolm-gladwell-harvard

"SNIP................


New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell doesn't tweet a whole lot. He made an exception after hedge fund billionaire and financial crisis profiteer John Paulson's ludicrous $400 million donation to Harvard, which is naming its engineering school after him in exchange.

...............


"Next up for John Paulson: volunteering at the Hermes store on Madison avenue. Let's make this a truly world class retail outlet!"


................SNIP"

[bluestateguy]

1. Notice how these 8 or 9 figure donations never go to help the students

Like a tuition cut or more full scholarships.

Or maybe to create more tenure track professorships, so as to move away from underpaid adjuncts.

No, typically it goes to some vanity project.

[applegrove]

2. My brother went t Harvard. He was in his forties when he finally paid off his loan.

[Adrahil]

3. Actually, Harvard has very progressive tuition policies

Families making less than $65,000/yr pay nothing to go. Nothing. Families with incomes up to $165,000/yr pay from 0-10% of their income.

More than 90% of families pay the same or less than goiong to a state school.

The problem, of course, is getting in to Harvard!

[bluestateguy]

4. and good for Harvard for doing that

I think Princeton is the same way.

But few schools have (or can afford to have) such policies.

[Adrahil]

5. Quite right....

Harvard doesn't need more endowment. Other schools do.