Nike's Phil Knight shocks nation with $2 billion donation to Oregon Cancer Center — largest ever
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American Universities right now aren't on any billionaire's list for a no-strings-attached charity donation. But Nike founder Phil Knight has one upped himself as he and his wife–the largest single donation to any American university, EVER!The gift will roughly double the size of the cancer center, helping it treat more patients and do more research. Dr. Brian Druker, a cancer research expert who developed the life-saving drug Gleevec, will lead the effort as president of the institute. Druker had been the CEO of the Knight Cancer Institute until December and will return to oversee this expansion, reported by the Wall Street Journal.The Knights said in a news release, 'We couldn't be more excited about the transformational potential of this work for humanity.' This $2 billion gift surpasses Michael Bloomberg's $1.8 billion donation to Johns Hopkins in 2018, making it the largest by a single donor. Knight's interest in Druker's vision began in August 2022, when he called Druker during his anniversary trip in Canada.In May 2025, Knight confirmed the $2 billion donation to Druker over a call at Druker's Portland home. Druker said, 'What do you say when somebody says they want to give you $2 billion?' Phil Knight and Druker were first introduced almost 20 years ago by lawyer Brian Booth, as stated in the reports.Their first collaboration brought $100 million to the cancer institute in 2008, which was renamed the Knight Cancer Institute. A later proposal led to a $500 million gift, matched by others to make $1 billion for the institute in 2015. The Knights' total donations to Oregon universities, including OHSU and University of Oregon, likely exceed $4 billion, as per the Wall Street Journal report.The new gift will improve the patient experience, offering a one-stop place for treatment, testing, and support. Part of the $2 billion will fund clinical trials and basic cancer research. Druker shared a personal story: decades ago, terminally ill patients enrolled in Gleevec trials survived and thrived. He wants the same for all cancer patients, with care and compassion.Under the Trump administration, federal science grants were cut, causing delays for universities like OHSU, making private donations more important. The Knight Cancer Institute will now operate more independently under a new entity called Knight Cancer Group, with Druker as president.Druker had resigned as CEO in December due to organizational concerns but returned because of the Knights' donation opportunity. Phil Knight, now 87, grew up in Portland, ran track at University of Oregon, and co-founded Nike with Bill Bowerman in the 1960s, as mentioned in the report by Wall Street Journal.Knight turned Nike into the world's leading sportswear company, and remains its largest shareholder and chairman emeritus. His estimated net worth is $35 billion, and he has given large amounts to the University of Oregon, including athletic facilities and scientific research.Knight's donations to academics far exceed those to athletics. They include endowed professorships, the Knight Law Center, and $1 billion for the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. Knight has also given millions to Stanford University, where he studied and wrote the business plan for Nike, as reported by Wall Street Journal.Phil Knight and his wife Penny donated $2 billion, the largest known single gift to a U.S. university.The money will expand the cancer center, support research, fund clinical trials, and improve patient care.
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