Grads react as billionaire commencement speaker gives them $1,000: Watch video
Grads react as billionaire commencement speaker gives them $1,000: Watch video
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Billionaire gifts Bridgewater grads cash—and a lesson in giving
At BSU's commencement, billionaire Robert T. Hale Jr. surprised over 1,400 graduates with $1,000 each. Then he asked them to give half of it away.
An undergraduate class at a Massachusetts university was gifted $1,000 as they walked across the stage at graduation and collected their degrees, according to a press release.
Billionaire Robert Hale Jr. gifted over $1 million to Bridgewater State University's graduating class of 2025, according to a news release published on the university's website.
Hale, the founder and CEO of Granite Telecommunications, which provides telecommunication services to businesses, has a net worth of $5.8 billion as of May 21, 2025, according to Forbes.
He told graduates that he was giving them $500 for themselves and another $500 to give "to a cause or person who needs it more than they do," stated the university, which is located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, which is around 30 miles south of Boston. In total, each student in attendance received $1,000.
'We're proud of you," Hale told the class. "These are turbulent times, chaotic times. You guys have weathered the storm.'
'Our community needs your help, your leadership, your empathy now more than ever.'
Hale known for generous commencement gifts
Hale, who was also an honorary degree recipient, is known for his $1,000 commencement gifts.
As previously reported by USA TODAY, Hale gifted Massachusetts Dartmouth graduates $1,000 in 2024 as they received their degrees, and a few years before that, he gifted Quincy College Class of 2021 graduates the same gift, which had the same stipulations.
Hale has also donated over $400 million to cancer research, educational institutions and other charitable causes, according to the university.
How students plan to spend their commencement gifts
University student, Lizzy Hart, who majored in English, plans on giving her $500 to her sister, who is recovering from surgery and is out of work.
Fellow student, Emily Nasuti, who majored in social work, said she plans on giving the $500 to her younger sister when she graduates from high school, the university stated.
"I started crying,' said Nasuti in a statement. 'It was immediate tears. I was very surprised and excited. I felt really recognized.'
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn,X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
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